The Washington herald., 1921-12-11

tation Of ornaments and Far East
affairs stirred the audience at Con-
tinental Memorial Hall yesterday.
sometimes with the eloquence.
sometimes with the simplicity, OF
their speeches approving the four
power treaty as substitute for
the AngIo-Japanese alliance But
II remained for Senator Henry
cabot lodge who read and eN-
planned the treaty. to deliver a mas
terpiere on the little islands that
dot the surface OF the Pacific. q
classic in diplomatic oratory that
will be long remembered. He also
emphasized the Importance of clear
ing up the Pacific question as one
Of the situations which might
cause friction between the nations.
"The surest way to prevent war
is to remove the causes of war,
Mr.. Lodge said. This is an at
tempt To remove causes OF war over
great area OF the globes sur
face by reliance upon the good
faith and honest intentions of the
nations which sign the treaty. solv-
ing all differences through the
processes Of diplomacy and joint
consideration and Cancellation. His
tory unhappily has shown that
II
remote or so valueless that il Is
not capable Of giving cause for con-
troversy. or even for war, between
the tribes and the nations OF man
kind. But the islands of the Pa
cific. although remote from the
dwelling places of the mass OF hu-
r1anity. are far from valueless.
Group of 3,IOO Islands.
,,
Pacific extend over a vast space in
that great ocean. They reach from
the Marquesas on the east to the
Philippines on the west; from the
Aleutian Islands on the north
nearly to the Antarctic Circle on
the south. They are far moro
numerous than is generally real
lied I do not know what the total
number is. but I am informed as to
the Philippines. and II appears that
this group alone contains over 300
islands. of which 1900 have names.
We have all probably heard of the
remark Of Robert Louis Stevenson,
when on leaving one of the Pacific
islands he was asked how he was
going to Samoa. He replied that he
should just go out and turn to the
left. These islands are, conpara
lively speaking, so dense mat we
might describe them in the words
of Browning as the
'SprinkIed isles,
Lily ON lily that o'erlaCc the sea
And yet the region through
which they are scattered is so vast
that the isles of Greece and the
Aegean Sea. so famous in history
and poetry. could easily be lost
therein and continue unnotiCcd eX-
cent by wandering seamen or stray
Adventures They range from
Australia. continental in ma Enitude,
to atoUs where there are no dwell
Iers but the builders of the coral
reefs or lonely rocks marking the
peaks Of mountains which rise up
from the oceans floor through miles
Of water before they touch the air.
To the western and the eastern
world alike most of the islands of
the northwestern Pacific are little
known. There still fingers about
them the charm so compelling and
so fascinating which an undiscov-
cred country has for the sons Of
men who are weary Of main trav-
eled roads and the trampled high
ways Of trade and commerce which
cover the surface of the patient
earth.
Islands of Romance.
Upon these islands still shines the
=lamor Of romance in the stories OF
Melville and the writings of Robert
Louis Stevenson. to whom the South
seas gave both A grave and mon
ument imperishable as his own fame.
But the Pacific Islands are much more
than this. They possess certain quail
tiles other than natural beauty and
romantic charm. which to many minds
arc more enticinG.
Thus far the wastes of :he Pa
cific Ocean with all the crowdinS Is
lands. except on the edges of the
continents, have not been the scene
Of great wars: and vet not many
wears have passed since -hree great
nations sent their warships to Samoa
because there was a dispute in re-
gard to those distant islands. There
fore an agreement among he Ia
lions controlling these islands has
a very serious Importance TO tie
peace of the world.
If the nations OF the earth are
still IN the innermost recesses of their
consciousness planning or dreaming
CO coming wars and longing for con-
quests. no treaties Of partition and
no alliances can stay them; but If.
as ! firmly hope. the world has
learned a friChtful lesson from the
awful experiences of the great war
OF 1914, then our surest appeal in
order to prevent wars in the future
must be to the hearts. the sympa-
thies. the reason and the higher i'm
pulses of mankind
Faith of Nations.
Such an appeal we make today
by this agreement among four great
nations. We rely upon their good
faith to carry out the terms of this
instrument, knowing that by so do
ing they will prevent war. should con-
troversies ever arise among them. If
this spirit prevails and rules, we can
have no better support than the faith
OF nations. For one. devoutIy be-
lieve the spirit Of the world is such
mat We can trust to the good faith
and high purposes which the treaty
nave laid before you embodies and
enshrines
Agreements Of this kind I know
nave often been made before ONLY
10 ran But there has been a far
reaching change in the mental con-
dltlon Of men and women eyery-
where That which really counts
is the intention Of the nations who
make the agreement. In this hour
or trial and darkness which has
Followed the war with GERMANY the
spirit of the world Is no longer
the same. If We enter upon this