Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-08-19
DISARMAMENT CONFERENCE
TOO BIG FOR PARTlSANSHIP
Its Success Depends on the Agreement
Of the Peoples Of the World and
Not on Compromise Reached
by the Parties In Power

Of Mississippi, and the New York World
The World, in commenting on the suggcs
ton that Senator Underwood is to be ap-
pointed to the commission along with Sena-
tor Lodge and Secretary Hughes, declares
that Mr.. Underwood should decline to serve.
THE function of the Democrats in this
matter" it says, "is to keep themselves
free from Administration entanglements and
try to force action at the conference.
Senator Harrison is taking the same mar
row partisan view of the affair, and has
begun to do his best to throw monkey
wrPnches into the machinery.
Now if there was ever any enterprise
projected in the United States which ought
to be kept free from political partisanship
it is this disarmament business. The sen.
timent of the country is back of the Presi-
dents program. There is neither Repubi-
canism nor Democracy, as such, in it. In
stead, there Is the yearning of a tortured
and stricken world for relief from the threat
Of war which lies In competitive armament
among the nations.
Democrats and Republicans in this coun-
tsy are demanding Il. In England It is
asked for by Liberals and Conservatives and
Laborites. In France, In spite of the
menace Of Germany, the plain people Of all
parties are eager that something should be
done which will remove the menace of war
from them and which will reduce the heavy
burden of taxation under which they are
struggling.
The assumption that nothing can be ac-
hoJ h,. ,h -
unless the minority party in the United
States keeps itself free to attack it from
the outside is preposterous and an insult to
the intelligence.
To assume that the President, if he
should invite Senator Underwood to be one
OF the American delegates to the conference,
would be trying to tie the Democratic Party
up to the conclusions reached is to mis-.
judge the purpose of the whole undertaking.
What it is hoped the President can sue
ceed in doing is to bring about agreement
among the nations represented to limit their
armament at once and gradually to reduce
it as conditions justify. The only way this
can be accomplished is through the agree
ment of all the parties in all the nations to
a common program. Such an agreement
cannot be reached unless the representatives
of those parties have some voice in the de-
liberations.
Consequently it is expected that when
the delegates from the other nations arrive
it will appear that they are not merely the
spokesmcn for the parties in power. but
that they are representatives Of all shades
of political opinion in those nations. Other
wise what guarantee can there be that the
policy agreed upon will be permanent?
1t is equally futile to criticize the nations
for continuing their present naval programs
pending the decision of the conference The
purpose of the conference is to decide how
far it is safe to dsarm. No nation whose
leaders have any realizing sense Of their
obligations will disarm while international
greed persists in the world and while other
nations are equipped to seize what they
hunger for. 1t would be like dsbanding
the police force in city while the burglars
and murdercrs were still actively engaged
in their occupations.
What is contemplated is a truce. which
might be called a truce of God, to continue
for a time in the hope that it may so
commend itself to the judgment of mankind
that it will be made permanent, and bring
us one step nearer to that divine far of
event toward which all creation yearns
There is splendid 'd"aism back of the
movement. an idealis fine to be sulled
by partisan polticai I'd singing And
the determination of the President and Sec
rotary Hughes to bring the Pacific problems
before the conference is proof that there is
sound, practical wisdom back Of the'visiou.
1t is in the Pacific where the chief menace
to world peace lifts up its grisy head. This
menace must be laid before the nations can
safely agree to lay down even part Of their
arms.
For n generation or more the European
| nations told one another that they were
| ready TO consider disarmament programs
when the others would consent, but the
discussion always ended in the exchange Of
| diplomatic notes Now they are ready to
come together in Washington to discuss the
matter. This is because the politicians
know that their own political future depends
on finding some way out of the financial
tangles in which their Governments are
| houndering.
The world is crying out for a better way.
II the Washington conference can stake out
| that way for only a short distance in the
future it will be worth while. It should
have the intelligent and sincere support Of
every citizen Of every nation involved
We in the United States entered unitedIy
into the war and forgot partiSanship while
the fighting was going on 1t ought to be
possible to enter whole heartedy into the
project for laying the foundations of en- .
during peace without any group of men
trying to play petty politics.