The Washington times., 1921-11-15
Today
Another Talker, Pc
Readers.
Ants on a Log Listen.
Another Baby Mouse.
But It's Good for Us.
ARTHUR BRISBANE

AHis Is written on the Train
headed for Washington to add ono
more to the assortment of reporters
writing about the arms conference
and one more to the flood Of daily
writings with little in them.
II you saw a group Of ants on
log drifting down stream and could
understand the ant language you
might hear earnest discussion.
Shall we land or 20 on? We
have exhausted ourselves fighting
those other ants. Shall We stop
fighting and killing, or at least
Kill each other less expensively?"
You would marvel at the ants
paying no attention to the stream,
its rapidity or direction.
So it is with another collection
Of ants, fighting, foolish humans,
floating down on our log, the earth,
discussing details, with the main
thing beyond our control. There il
stream carrying us somewhere,
In definite direction, and while
we talk and "confer" we are going
with absolute certainty to our des-
tination.
Talking won't change it. Talk
is good practice, but changes things
little. There was probably much
talk against cannibalism before
men gave it up. They gave it up
when they had tanned herds and
no longer needed to eat each other.
Take away the herds and they'd
be cannibals again in a generation.
The observer, if wise, will
read and listen, knowing that
men change the course Of history
and their own natures as little
as they change the course of
earth, or the mysterious journey
OF the sun that drags US with it.
Is it, then, useless to talk, re-
solve, moralize, and try to be
better? No, it's good for US. 1t
helps a baby in the cradle to
wiggle its little legs, but no par
ticular wiggle makes any differ
ence. If it didn't wiggle at all
that would make difference; it
would die. So with US. We
must keep on wiggling and hav-
ing world conferences. although
not one is important in itself.
Is such talk cynical or other
wise harmful? No, for men can
---lways be trusted to take them
elves and their doings seri-
,usly. AS soon as you get into q
.iscussion you think you are set
ling the worlds fate.
The wise men of Washington
have emphasized mans feeble
ness in dealing with his destiny.
For they have solemnly proposed
what? To cut down the num-
Der of battleships just as the bat
tleship becomes of no importance
whatever. The flying machine
and submarine have made bat
gleships a joke; they can never
,igure seriously in war again.
And with funny solemnity, loud
applause, wise discussion, Amer
ca suggests limiting the battle
hips, with no limit on flying ma
hines. 1t is as though the
american Indian chief that laid
his war bonnet beside the flowers
and decorations on the unknown
soldiers grave had said: Ladies
and gentlemen, this is my con-
tribution to world peace. And /
promise to make no bows and
arrows"
The official mind settles happily
into a groove and gets out, if
at all, just in time to take up
some other line, also out of date.
A young diplomat from Ru-.
mania yesterday quoted a witty
Frenchman: "Why are generals
80 stupid: Because they all
used to be colonels."
There are exceptions, even
among army and navy officers.
Rear Admiral Sir Percy Scott.
an Englishman. says: az regard
advocates of wasting money on
battleships as lunatics. Why is
the countrys purse controlled by
lunatics ?"
The Washington mountain for
its birth produces a very small
mouse. As well try to end land
war by limiting cavalry. ignor-
ing tanks. high-power motors.
machine guns. and other things
immune to cavalry attack.
What the world is getting is
not results. The Japanese know
we'll that their big merchant
fleet, with fliers and submarines.
can get along and invade without
battleships. but we are getting
moral benefit. The Washington
conference is like an old-fashioned
religious revival. Good resolves