The spectator., 1921-07-22
EACH WATTS FUR
 OTHER ID BEGIN
DISARMAMENT, IT IS BELIEVED IN WASHINGTON, MUST BE
 BY AGREEMENT OF ALL. .
AMERICAS. 'FEELERS' ARE OUT
Replies to Secretary Hughes Informal Inquiries Eagerly AWaited--Mear while Man Is BusiIy Devisng New Weapons of Warfare.
By EDWARD 8. CLARK.

I
 the administration believes disarm- ament depends upon "the other fellow. Judging from the temper of congress, and from the editorial expressions ot the newspapers of the country, there Is fixed belief that disarmament and agreement must be companions; in other words, that the nations together must disarm if great naves and great armies are to be cast away.
 | It is believed in Washington that as soon as the Borah resolution call ing for naval disarmament confer ence between the United States, Great Britain and Japan was introduced. the President called on the state de- partment to feel out not only Great Britain and Japan on the subject. but other great nations as well. It is probable that before long Secretary of State Hughes will have something | definite to report to the President on the matter.
 There is recognition in official cir cles in Washington of the fact that the United States is divided into two camps on the subject of disarmament i; one of them, the larger camp, being that of what the officials call the ra- tionals, and the other, the smaller but still powerful camp, of what they call 1 the irrationas. The nationals, ac- cording to the Washington viewpoint are those who want disarmament to come by agreement among the nations ,I,. tt.a,N als are those who want the United States to scrap its navy and disband its army. no matter what the other nations may do. This course natural 1 ly would leave this country open to any possible enemy who thought that the time had not yet come to throw it's rifles on the slag pile.
 Making New Warfare implements
 In the meantime man everywhere is travelling along the lines of invention of new implements of warfare. or of those which lead into the field of the making of implements which will ren- der present implements of warfare obsolete.
 Within a short time there will be an attempt on the part of the air service of the United States army to prove that airplanes quickly can put battle ships out of commission and there fore that hereafter the whole course of naval construction must be changed. The navy officers say that their ships can keep out of the way of all the air planes, and not only this. but with guns on their own decks they can pre-. vent the approach of the air hawks Moreover. they say that planes launched from their decks can help in the work of keeping the air enemy at q distance.
 At the time of the other experiments the chemical warfare service will sry to prove that its weapons are just as effective against ships as they are against land forces.
 Awaiting Replies to "Feelers"
 So It is easy enough 10 see that while disarmament is being discussed, the nations of the world are not stay ing their hands from the work of in venting new and deadly contrivances to put their fellow men, who happen to belong to other countries, out of the running. The recognition apparent ly is complete in all countries that, if disarmament is to be fact and the. invention of new and more deadly weapons of war Is to be brought to a standstill, there must be complete agreement among all the powerful na- tions to disarm and to check the in ventors in their work.
 Washington is awaiting with intense interest the replies to the dlsarm. ament "feelers" which the State de- partment has put out. There have been hints from various sources that Great Britain and Japan may be will ing to sit at disarmament confer ence, and of course It Is known that, If these nations agree, others probably will be willing to agree A disarma- ment conference would be in the high. est sense a peace conference, for. If real disarmament comes, tue nations that want to fight will have to do it with stones, clubs CT fists, and such scraps are not particularly deadly.
 Tariff Bill Slow in Making. | Cohgres as the country knows, is moving slowly along the lines of tariff legislation. It was believed early last spring that. because of the seeming indifference to the subject throughout the land. the lac makers could 20 ahead and frame their new bill with. out delay and without much objec- tion. and have 1t ready for the presi. dential signature at an early date. This belief has changed.
 When hearings on the various sched. ules we're being held by the ways and means committee of the house of representatives, the lack of interest in the general tariff subject by some of the greater American industries was remarked upon. There seemed to be feeling throughout the country | thot hn nhAl ,,ln l.. Ri