The Washington herald., 1921-10-02

last week. the Washington conference for the
limitation of armaments is going to be Sc
riousy affected, at least in the opening
monies, debates and psychological influence by the
grave problems Of domestic interest which will claim
first attention with European statesmen. The definite
announcement that Premier Lloyd George will not
appear in Washington this year due to those facts
Whether the Irish problem goes i'll well-and
still hold fast to optimism despite melancholy de-
lays and alarms-it will demand his guiding spirit far
beyond November Apart altogether from that is the
question of unemployment in Great Britain, and its
dangerous portents for the coming winter will make
it practically impossible for the British prime minister
to absent himself from Parliament and Downing
Street for any length Of time Pressure is still being
brought to bear on him to make quick dash to
Washington for the inaugural ceremony to be fol-
lowed by another visit next year when the vital de-
cisions will be made 1t would be excellent thing,
and I know Mr.. Lloyd George is most anxious to
play big part Washington if it is humanity pos
sble, but home duties give him no rest .
Arthur ]. Balfour is old and tired, and after his
long exile in Geneva Graves his own freside. The
man who in my judgment ought above all to go
to Washington as representative Of the British
empire is Gen. Jan Smuts. "..- ...@
There is a movement on foot in certain political
circles in England to entrust him with the high
mission. 1t is still remembered that during the i'm
peria conference At London Gen. Smuts made
most noble and wise address to Premier Lloyd
George on the problem Of the Pacific and the Euro
pean position in regard to that problem, especially
owing to the urgent necessity for disarmament. In
the clearest way he showed how the balance of
world fate is shifting away from Europe to the Far
East and the Pacific, and how the British policy
should be such to make competition for armament
in naval power impossible.
(kTHE most fatal mistake Of ALL" he said, would
be a race in ornaments with America, which
is closest to us in all human ties, the only patch
of safety and wisdom for the empire is which
she can walk together with America, not in formal
alliance which is impossible and undesirable, but in
cordial understanding"
To my mind to many others, Gen. Smuts is
the greatest intellect the nobest and most oustand
ing character in the British empire today and his
grasp of the essential lines of world policy and his
big perspective would fit him beyond all others to
act as the British counselor at Washington.
I suppose that neither in the United States nor
in Canada is it fully realized how closely bound up
with the hopes of the Washington conference, and
the industrial situation in Europe, and particularly,
perhaps, in Great Britain
Undoubtedly this coming winter is not going to
be pleasant, Roughly 100000 men unemployed
and already hundreds of thousands of them have ex-
ceeded the time limit for unemployment pay that
they are utterly dependent upon relief from local
rates. But that relief longer be granted locally
because the rate payers cannot bear additional
burdens and local guardians have gone to prison in
patches rather than levy heavier rates.
TT is now admitted by Lloyd George and his gov
i ernment that unemployment cannot be left
trely to local relief and that il is aatioua prob
lem which must be dealt with in q national way
though in cooperation with local effort They are
preparing big schemes which may tide the pres
ent crisis but meanwhile labor Is pressing hard for
state support Of the unemployed generous and