The New York herald., 1921-11-16

ing at the present moment, but
has everybody whom am ad-
dressing imaginatively conceived
precisely what the situation of the
British Empire is in this connec-
ton?
Most of my audience are citi-
zens Of the United States. The
United States stands solid. i'm
pregnable, self sufficient, all its
lines Of communication pro-
tected. doubly protected, COM
pjetely protected from any con-
ceivable hostile act. II is not
merely that you are 100000
OF population; 1t is not that you
arc the wealthiest country in the
world; It is that the whole con-
figuration Of your country. the
geogra phicai position OF your
country, is such that you are
wholly immune from the partic-
ular perils TO which. rom the ma
ture of the case, the British En-
pire is subject
Supposing. for example, that
your Western States, for whose
safety you are responsible, were
suddenly removed 10000 miles
across the sea. Supposing that you
found that the very heart OF your
empire, the very heart of this
great State. was a small.
crowded. island depending for
oversee trade not merely, not
chiefly. for It's luxuries, but de-
pending upon overseas communi-
cation for the raw material OF
those manufactures by which it's
superabundant population lives,
depending upon the same oversee
communication for the food upon
which they subsist. Supposing Il
was familiar thought in your
any moment OF the year within
the limits of your State more than
seven weeks food for the popula-
ton and that that food had to be
repleuished by oversee communi-
cation. Then, If you will draw
that picture, End If you will see all
that IL implies and all that IL car
ries with It, you will understand
why 1t Is that every citizen OF the
British Empire, whether he comes
from the far dominions OF the Pa
ci6c or whether ne lives in the
small island In the North Sea,
never can forget that II is by sea
communication that he lives and
that without sea communications
he and the empire 10 which he be-
longs would perish.
Now, ladies' and gentlemen, do
not suppose that am uttering la
nents over the weakness of my
empire. Far from it We are
strong, l hope. in the vigorous life
of its constituent parts. We are
strong. [ hope, in the ardent pa
triotism which binds us all to-
gether. But this strategic weak
ness is obvious to everybody who
reflects. 1t is present In the minds
or our enemies. II We have
enemies. Do not let 1t be forgot
ten by our friends.
These reflections, with your
Kindness, j have INDUCED in IN or
der to explain why 1t is that l am
addressing you at the present
time. We have had to consider.
and we have considered, the great
scheme laid before you by our
chairman. We have considered II
with admiration and approval. We
agree with IL In spirit and In prin
ciplc. We look 10 Ii as being the
basis of the greatest reform In
the matter OF armament and prep
aration for war that has ever been
conceived or carried out by cour-
age and patriotism of statesmen.
do not pretend. OF course-it
would be folly to pretend-that
this or any other scheme, by what
ever genius Il may have been con-
trived. can deal with every SUBJ
ject: can cover the whole ground
OF international reconstruction. IL
would be folly 10 make the at
tempt, and II would be folly 10
pretend that. the attempt has yet
been made in any single scheme,
as was clearly explained by the
Secretary OF State on Saturday.
The scheme deals, and deals only,
with three nations which own the
largest fleets at present In the
world. 1t therefore. Of necessity,
omits all consideration for the time
being of those European nations
who have diminished their fleets.
and who at present have no desire,
and hope never win have any de-
sire, to own fleets beyond the ne
cessitles that national honor and
national defence require.
Again, IL does not touch ques-
tion which every man coming from
Europe must feel 70 be question of
immense and almost paramount
importance. mean the heavy bur-
den OF land arrnaments. That is
left on one side. TO be dealt with
by other schemes and In other
ways. What Il does Is surely ono
OF the biggest things that has ever
yet been done by constructive
craftsmanship. It docs deal with
the three great fleets Of the world.
and in the broad spirit In which II
deals with those fleets, in the pro-