The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-11-20
URGES POLITICAL
DISARMAMENT AS
FIRST NECESSITY
French. Statesman Says
Cut in Navies Won't
Stop Wars.
~ GABRIEL HANoTAUX.


opinion divides its applause between
President Hardlng's discourse at the
opening of the conference at wash
ington and Secretary Hughes
propositions. my view is that the
speech of President Harding was so
favorably received because he ex-
pounded the same ideslist doctrine
that is vibrating in the hearts of
the majority of the French people.
In terms that were admirable for
their very sincerity. President
Harding translated politically the
cry Of the combatants:
we suffer. we die. At least let
this be the last war"
Summed up, this is the ldeaiistic
view Of the international relation
ship for which France and the al
lies united against Germany.
Germany Opposed Arms Cut.
Nobody forsets that in the year
1895, Gar Nicholes. then the ally
Of France, inaugurated the hrst
great peace conference proposing
limitation of ornaments by re-
course TO arbitration.
Likewise nobody forgets that it
was Germany which opposed these
principles.
Concerning naval Limitation. no.
body will forget. either, that Eng
land on the very eve Of the war.
through an Intermediary - Lord
HaIdsne-proposed a Limitation OF
naval construction, which Germany
again declined TO consider because
her decision had been taken re-
sardinE peace-she preferred war.
As result of that decision the
worst war of history was fought.
To prevent a return OF such
catzstrophes. France energetically
manifested at Versailles a disgust
and hatred for all Imperialism
claiming nothing from Germany ex-
cept Alsace-Lorrsine. contentinE
herself with plstonic securities
which since have not been realized.
She set her face toward the enor-
nous burden of the reparations
and commenced to labor for peace.
Hopes for Success Of Plan.
II was in this spirit that France
adhered TO the society of nations.
considering It at first as a tenta-
tive and then as a permanent or
zanization for peace.
Now that another voice arises
from the other side of the Atlantic
preaching the same good word. al
though proposing other means
France sends her most eminent
men, headed by Premier BRAND, &
hear the new propositions in tn,
same spirit in which they are sub.
rftted-
Premier BRAND has transplanted
h. ~ oil French nenn1s
in the dramatic words:
Ground arms"
II Is therefore with the hope Of
great success for President Hard
ing that the entire world. and par
ticulsrfy those who suffered mos
extremely from the war. will enter
with him in the new era of wal
against war.
Questions Logic of Move.
Application of the Hughes propo.
sition providing for a truce In nava
building and the proportional sup
preston of armament beginning
with America herself. didn't direct.
ly concern, France who. neverthe
less, has considered the proposal:
with phlegm and sangfroId- ESQ
lated she was content to remain
spectator. Accepted with satisfsc.
ton the noble declarations OF Bal
four and Kato. wherein they &C
cepted, subject to reservation.
We can profit by waiting for tho
period OF considering the question
with a view to its internations
consequences which certainly meri
consideration. Hughes offers as the
first consideration limitation Of
ornaments" whereas IL may be de.
manded whether the wisest and
most logical move would not hav,
been to consider first. not disarm
snent itself, but the politics of dis
armament.
Politics In Disarma ment.
This brings US back to Presiden
HardinE's speech in which we fnC
his words demanding that the peo-
pie renounce bellicose ideas Lit
orally this means limitation OF i'm
perialistic ideas, for armament
after all are the only means o
serving Imperialism II one want.
to fight. one can do SO just as easiI,
with ten cruisers as with twenty
with small tonnage as with great
and to tell the truth IL is to b,
feared whether measures taken nov
to prevent war will not be rem
dered utterly useless by progress
sive discovery of new means Of
making war such as aerial and
chemical weapons which scienc,
and; and strategy are always trying t.
when one fights everything be
comes a weapon. Samson, to hum.
Bile the Phflistines, didn't wait for
modern arms. Suppression of navie.
is only a temporary means, apply
ing uniquely to a certain situation
but by no means is a prevention OF
war, -
War Peril stin Exists.
Let's, take 1t merely as a symbol
that peace Is on the way, but let's
also remember that IL we really
mean to disarm It Is the politics Of
governments that we should begin
on. and II is in this sense that
Harding's speech far exceeded the
Hughes proposition, in the opinion
OF the French.
Suppose there exists in the world
a power resolute TO arm herself
blindlyAa power not engaged in
the pact which will result from
the Washington conference, but a
power which will mock the good
intentions OF the other nations. We
saw this yesterday. We can see II
tomorrow. what then becomes of
the Warrington pact? This is why
political disarmament must come
before disarmament itself IL the
latter is to be successful.
- -Dswn With Inperialism.,
International politics won't stop
in the Pacific until the entire world