Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-11-07
REDUCTION BY ADJUSTMENT.

BY ADJUSTMENT.
The coming week will be marked by the publ
cation of articles, the delivering Of addresses, the
adoption of resolutions, and the offering of prayers
for the success of the coming conference on limi-
tation of armament. Among the many expressions
there will be a vast number utterly futile and con-
tanning the possibility of harm in that they will
tend to arouse hopes for the attainment Of the i'm
possible.
The coming conference will not and cannot
provide for the disarmament of the nations repre-
sented there. 1t was not called in that expectation
orfor that purpose. It was called specifically for
the purpose Of considering and bringing about so
far as it is possible limitation of armament, and in
the invitations extended to that conference, there is
laid down the proviso that the conference under
take to remove SO far as possible causes of misur-
derstandlng among the nations so as to reduce to
the minimum the possibility Of war and to increase
to the utmost extent the possibility of armament re-
duction.
The condition OF the world today with refer
ence to armament may be compared to that in our
pioneer states before primitive societies there had
organized themselves into regularly and legally
constituted bodies. Nc. courts had Jurisdiction, or
il they had they were too far away to be reached.
So far as those communities were concerned, there
might as well have been no laws and no courts. 1t
was necessary for the people to provide their own
regulations. 1t was necessary for the individual to
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Sary because the lawless were there as the law1ess
are always to be found where human beings are
eongregated, and it was necessary for each orderly
individual to arm himself in order that his home,
his family, and his possessions might be defended
against the aggressions of the lawless and disor-
Derby.
The Universal practice of going armed TN
d%oubtedly led to many. clashes between individuals
who would otherwise have kept peace. Little
jealousies were expanded, little differences assumed
unwarranted proportions, and the appeal to arms
was apt to be made suddenly and on really slight
provocation. 1t would be entirely natural that the
orderly residents of such a community should as
semble for the purpose of discussing the situation,
and of reducing this risk to the minimum, and also
OF reducing to the minimum the burden entailed
by the necessity of continually carrying arms. In
such a conference there would naturally be consid-
cred the limitation of differences which had arisen
among neighbors. Claims over water rights, over
crossing privileges, over line fences, and over a
score of things would be taken up and adjusted &C.
eording to the best ability of those concerned, and
with all the possible causes of misunderstanding re-
moved that could be removed, the settlers could
then proceed to reduce their armament to the limit
of safety. Nevertheless there would remain until
the community could pass under the protection of a
superior authority and a superior force, the need fo1
continuing the preparation against bandits, cattle
runners, and other lawless elements around the
border of the community.
This is quite analogous to the international
situation today. There is no supreme law to which
the nations can appeal and whose edicts can b
carried out by means Of adequate force. Whateve,
IS accomplished must be by mutual agreement, ant
always there must be a recognition of the fact tina
here and there are peoples, sometimes numerous
and sometimes few in numbers, who for variou:
reasons are quite likely on short notice to precipi
tate disturbances the end of which no one can see
Every nation must be prepared for such emergen
cies if its people are to be at all secure, and it i
from this standpoint that the conference must pro
coed. It's work can be accomplished only by mu
Sa%f1a1l aoreernef1f and At all fines there ro,,ef he
recognition that the safety of all peoples require:
the law-abiding nations OF the world to maintain
sufficient armed force for their own protection
against the lawless and uncertain.