The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-01-04
HARDING FOR
DISARMAMENT
But Not Until Definite
Agreement With Powers
Is Reached
MAY SOON CALL ~.
NAVAL CONFERENCE
Present Administration Opposed to Cur
tailment of Naval Building Program
Until Actual Agreement as to Disarma-
ment Has Been Reached
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

by DAVID LAWRENCE.
Special Despatch to The Reformer.
Copyright 1921.
WASHINGTON. Jan. 4-Disarmat
meut may yet be the basis for the new
a.SoC iation of nations planned by the
next administration. President Wilson
/ VIII not avail himself of the privilege
given him by the naval act of 1916 au-
! thcGiz.ns the call of a conference of ma
| tions to discuss the question of a reduc-
ton Of ornaments. but there are indi-
| cations that President Harding will call
such Il conference.
| Members of congress who have been
at Marion reflect Senator EIarding's
! views on naval armament as somewhat
disSinilar from the attitude of those in
| congress who want to enter into a ma
/ val agreement with Japan and Great
| Britain alone. Mr. Harding is repre-
| scented as anxious to approach the whole
question in an effort to get a general
! understanding with all naval building
nations and he is further said to be I'M
willing to see America cut down the
/ size of her navy until a definite agree
meut with the other powers has been
reached.
| Perhaps the insistence by the Wilson
administration on completing the big
/ hui ding program authorized in 1916 has
! been widely misunderstood a. a sudden
turn to navalism and Selishness. For
/ Clen critics have cartoOncd America as
/ a second Germany. But the truth is
! the ideals which actuatcd the Wilson adj
/ ADMINISTRATION in the too proud TO fight
era. have not been surrendered. but les
>ou~ taught hr the war have been taken
to heart. Men like JosphuS Daniels
/ who came into the navy department in
1913 believing that war wa@ impossible
and that Americas entrance into the
European conflict. when it did arise,
could be avoided are not so truStfui a.
bcfore. With hatred. suspicion and
jealousy alive in the world, and with
/ America having refused 10 enter the
league Of nations. the necessity of being
prepared for further international dis
I turbanccS is regarded as essential In
other words the Wilson administration
is just as truStful as it ever was. of
other nations but ii sees the duty of
/ the present hour As one of caution and
preparedness letting changes in policy
bc made only when all other nations
have signed on the dotted line pledge
To stop building ships or preparing for
war
r. Every effort to cut down the size Of
the navy viii be resisted by the present
administration until an international
agreement is reached with other nations.
All resolutions looking toward the lint
ing of ornaments of Japan and England
atone will be rejected. For the DISPOSE
tion Of the navy department here Is TO
look upon the Borah proposal as moth
ing more nor less than the beginning of
a political alliance with Japan and Eng
1 land. The Wilson administration i
naturally gratitied that Senator BOrah
has given up the position he took during
the campaign that he didn't want any
political alliance or agreement with any
nation. but 50 long as the proposal con
templates only three nations and does
not include all the powers of the globe
it will not have the sanction of the pres
emf administration.
Moreover TO call an international con,
| ference now would mean a meeting not
earlier than the last of February or the
first of March when the Harding admin
istration would be coming into power
So it * practically certain that no move
toward the assumption of responsibility
for such a conference will be made un
til after March l.
Meanwhile. it cannot be taken for
granted that congress will cut down the
size of the American navy aS 1T Is re
ported that Senator Harding dOesn
want any move made that might TAKE
the cards out of his hands when he sits
dCWn with the representatives OF other
nations to discuss the reduction of arma
ments everywhere. Senator Harding i,
deeply interested in the provisions of the
naval act of 1916, under which the
present building program was launched
He need not ask congress for authority
He need not go to Senators Borah ano
Johnson or members of any other grouT
i'm the senate, for the law is already on
the statute books and the appropriation
for the expense of such an international
conference is already made. Mr.. vii
son didn't call the conference because he
believed the league of nations woulC
! tackle the question. 1t has. But Amer
lea being an outsider could not partici
pate officially in the discussion of arm
ameut. 1t is not impossible that tho
European nations will send to Wash
ington the same men who have beer
members of the league of nations com
mission on armament Through the
question of disarmament the whole sub
iect of international cooperation may
be opened anew and the way paved foI
an agreement with the rest of the ma,
tions of the world to prevent war and