The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-09-21
PEOPLE SHOW
DESIRE FOR
ARMS SLASH
Returning Senators and Con-
gressmen Aware of Strong
Public Opinion Favoring
Lower Expenses.
ECONOMY COMES FIRST
BY MARK SULLIVAN

w AAor11NG lOtN, sept. Zl.-I ne COIn-
ing together of SO senators and 435
members of the lower house, who
have just spent a month in their home
communities, distributed throughout
every section of the country, has
many impressive aspects Among
other things. it probably furnishes the
most accurate and thorough informal
consencus of public opinion that the
country ever gets. To each individual
senator and representative this trip
back home has some of the quality
of great and solemn referendum"
The politicians have to know as
first among their arts, that of sensing
how their constituents feel about pub
lie questions. In the comparing OF
notes by senators and representatives
returning today from fresh contact
with their home communities.
The strongest and most frequent re-
ports will be found to deal with popu-
lar interest in disarmament. The con-
cern about reducing armament is even
greater than the concern about unem-
ployment
Freight Rates Make Sentiment.
Within the field of business and
economics, there is much strong SEN
timent that takes various angles. One
very general impression, which Is
news to Washington and the east gen
orally, is that, in many spots through
out the middle west, freight rates on
the railroads seem just on the point
of becoming a major political issue.
But taking the electorate of the
country as a whole. and especially in
Guiding the women in that electorate,
the general testimony is that interest
in disarmament exceeds everything
else That large public sentiment,
particularly among women and among
what the politicians call church and
school circles, which a year or TWO
ago formed the backbone of the sup
port of the League of Nations, now
expresses itself in sentiment for re-
ductions of armament.
To the sentiment based on this old
League of Nations idealism is ADDED
a hard practical sentiment in~ favor
of disarmament, based on the wish for
lower taxes.
Conference Must Not Fail
II will be found to be the general
testimony of the returning politicians
first, that Harding in calling the dis
armament conference did the most
popular thing imaginable, and second
that the conference, having been call
ed, must not fail.
If the conference should meet and
talk and go away again with nothing
accomplished, the result would be q
shaking of public confidence which
would go further than merely to af
feet President Harding personally.
a second failure now, following
what the public regards as the failure
of the peace conference at Paris
would result in most disturbing lacl
of faith in public men and govern
ments generally.
Public Would Insist
1t is the general feeling that if a.
the coming conference America should
fail to achieve reduction of armament
by mutual agreement, then the public
would take matters into its own hand!
and would insist that America reduce
her armament alone, regardless o
agreements with other nations.
This insistence would take the form
of pressure on congress to refuse Il
continue to vote large appropriation
for armament.
To all this there is one exception
If the coming conference is held to ;
reasonable degree in the open, if tn,
public sees America making a fai
effort in good faith to achieve dis
armament by agreement, and if it ap
pears that failure, if failure there be
is due to other nations, then ther,
will be on the part of the American
public a reaction such that Hardin,
can successfully appeal to the countr.
for the funds to build the larges
navy in the world
America, according to those VIII
! have found its sentiment. wants reduC
tion of armament most earnestly, bu
if America is prevented from achiey
ing that wish by what appears to b
an unreasonable attitude on the par
of other nations, then America vii
willingly go into its pockets for th
funds to make America secure agains
the world
This is the one qualification to
profound and widespread determir
alton to achieve something definite i
the direction of disarmament an
peace
Copyright 1921 by the New Yor
Evening Post, Inc)