Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-10-16
HARDING STOPS
VAIN HOPE THAT.
ARMS PARLEY IS
To END ALL WAR
Course of President in Seek
ing to DiSpel Wrong Idea
Of Scope of Conference Is
Commended,
CHIEF EXECUTIVE is
NOT PESSIMISTIC
If Pacific Problems Are
lroned Out, It Should Mean
No Serious War in Next
Fifty Years,
(By ROBERT sMALL.)


Copyright 1921 by Albuquerque JournaD
Washington, Oct. 5.-President
Harding has been fairly deluged
with letters and kilograms the last
few days commenting his course in
attempting to dispel the misappre-
hension which have grown upon
the country over as to the scope
and possibilities of the conference
on the limitation of armaments,
The letter in which the president
plainly stated that the conference
could not be looked forward to as
a means of immediate abolishment
and navies of the world, is charac-
terized by the supporters of the
president as another manifestation
of that engaging frankness which
is one OF his chief assets. ~
The conclusion drawn irPMsome
quarters that the president is pes
simistic as to the outcome of the
conference, however, is far wide
of the mark Mr.. Harding has
high and confident hope of the
complete success of the part he
believes 1t will accomplish-1ust
what it was called for.
If. in the first place, 1t succeeds
in ironing out the Pacific and the
Far East, it will wipe out the possi-
bility of serious war for the next
fifty years. That is the opinion of
virtually all of the statesmen who
have studied, the situation. Military
experts have figured that in the alb
sence of a better understanding
than exists at the moment. the next
war surely would be in the Pacific.
If, in the second place, the con-
ference succeeds in bringing abeut
what has bten terme as naval
holiday" q suspensi..l of all build
ing program 1t will have virtually
accomplished its purpose. There
never has existed a belief that the
principal powers could enter at
this time upon an agreement TO
break up their existing navies and
tear down completely their military
position. The life and effectiveness
of the modern craft of war are
such fleeting elements, howevSr.
that naval disarmal ent Is prob
lem which will speedily take care OF
itself if the rush to new construc-
ton is stayed.
President Harding is not Dereft
of ideals, but at the same time he
is intensely practical and he be-
lieves that lasting progress toward
a better order in the world is to be
gained more through practical
means than pursuing elusive ideas.
Comparison is invited in this re-
spect to the methods by which the
ideal of prohibition was brought
out. AS they asked the immediate
enactment of prohibition, the ad-
yocates of teetotalism made little
IL any headway. 1t was only when
tho movement was placed on the
practical basis of wiping out tne
saloon that the entering wedges
were driven. Then through the
anti saloon league the movement
gathered such headway that total
was decreed. And so
it may eventually be with disarma-
ment.
Just what the outcome OF the
will be, just what WIN
be the shape and conditions OF the
agreements, no one can say. Inc
Is being launched, II
NAV be stated, upon a troubled sea:
II storms should be encountered
early in the voyage. there can pe
only one hope for the best.
One of the great possibilities or
the conference Is that 1t may meet
in subsequent sessions in subse-
ouent wears. II there are indica-
tions of progress there will be a
universal desire that this shall be
30. .
There is also the possibility, II
not the probability, that the con-
ference will grow far beyond It's
initial membership confined, as "
will be, to the five principal allied
and associated powers which won
the war against Germany. with
also from China.
Belgium and Holland, becARSe OF
their interests in the Pacifiy =,
That Germany may eventually
be interviewer with the conference
before the issues are closed, Is
strongly indicated by the trend OF
events both in Washington and
Europe.
Growing conciliation on the part
Of France may make this not only |
possible but desirable.
One OF the early stumbling |
blocks of the conference unques-
tionably will he the Anglo-Japan-
ese treaty. Even approximate dis
Is impossible, II, two OF
the principal powers pooh their