Evening star., 1921-10-12
PRESIDENT WARNS
AGA|NSTEXPECnNG
NATIONS T0D|SARM
Letter to Inquirer Says 1t Is
Necessary to Deal With
ActuaIities.
AMERICAN DELEGATION
OPENS SESSIONS HERE
Conferences Later to Include Pres
ident-Deinite Course of Action
to Be Laid Out.

to Be Laid Out.
Two developments in connection
with the coming arms conference
marked today.
From the highest official source. the
President Of the United States, came
announcement Of the expected scope
OF accomplishment by the conference
Tor the limitation of armaments, and
a warning to- 'propagandists who are
nature.
The American delegates to the con-
ference met in formal session at the
state Department, commencing a
series OF conferences which later will
include President Harding, to lay out
q oehnite policy and course of action
ior the great international event. At
todays meeting Basil Miles was chosen
secretary of the American delegation.
Upon him will devoIve from now on
many of the details of arranging for
the conference which is to commence
November H.
Exposition In Letter.
President Harding's exposition of
the limitations confronting the con-
ference was contained in a letter to
Miss Ella L. Freed of Brooklyn. N. Y.
VINO sometime ago wrote him about
disarmament. The President replied
to the letter. correcting her misap-
prehension as to what could be effect
ed, and she came back for further
eiucidation, which the President now
furnishes. His letter follows:
My dear Miss Freed Your letters.
among others that come to me sus-
gest widespread misapprehension
as 10 the aims OF the conference on
limitation of armaments. In my let
ter of October said to you:
- think l ought to correct your
impression about the expectation
OF universal disarmament 1t
is very erroneous even to suggest
that we contemplate going so far
as that. If We can get a reason
able Limitation we shall think that
great things have been accom-
plished!
You replied that my letter seemed
to bring a message of hopelessness'
to those seeking universal disarma-
ment and asked me to explain .rea-
sonable iimitation.' seF.-.
Wants Something Practicable,
BY Reasonable limitation / mean
something practicable that there is q
chance to accemplish, rather than an
to realize. 1t is necessary to deal
with actualfties; to do the best pos
sible. Universal disarmament would
be beyond hope Of realization. even
It's desirab btltty at this time might
wen be questioned. Thousands of
years OF history recording wars and
Controversies of mankind suggest
that human. nature would require
revolutionary reorganization to make
universal disarmament possible. A
conslderation of the present state of
conclusion that this is not a hopeful
time to undertake that kind of reyo-
luton.
"on the other. hand. a world with
scared into its mind. and staggering
under the load of debt and arma.
ments: has generously justified our
hope for favorable attitude toward
ming, that we are attempting. The
fine spirit in which leading nations
nave received the invitation to meet
aathse and consider nIde these things is alto
the impossible and fail might leave
our last state worse than our first.
The attitude of the nations warrants
tS,t that we win not fall but
be accomplished. calculated to lessen
the armament burden and to reduce
the danger of armed conflict. I feel
that In such an effort we are enti-
tied to the support Of all people who
would be glad-as l can assure you l
would-to see still more accomplish
Gu IL pOSSlDIe. MOST sincerely yours,
WARREN G. HARDING"
Deluged With Communications.
The President has recently been
deluged with communications along
the line of Miss Freed's letter and
his answer to her constitutes the last
word to those who look for more than
the President thinks can be reason
ably expected from the conference.
Basil Miles. secretary Of the Ameri-
n q tn n rYrc EvpNf tot inr,
conference, has been one Of the spe-
, cial assistants in the Department of
State since August, working upon de-
| tails of the meeting.
Mr.. Miles was in the American dip
lomatic service for seeral years. was
special assistant to the ambassador
at Petrograd with the rank of minis
ter plenipotentiary early in 1917. sec
retary of the special (Root) mission
to Russia in the summer of 1917. and
in the autumn OF that year was ap-
pointed chief Of the division of Rus
State. where he served in that ca
pacity until December. 1919.
Delegates Arrive Here.
Responding to a call issued yester-
day by Secretary Of state Hughes.
designating the President as the head
of the American delegation. the dele
gates arrived 6C the department at
10 o'clock. Senator Underwood was
the first to arrive. and Elihu Root
the last of the quartet. The former.
on passing through a group of news
paper correspondents gathered to re-
port the first formal phase of Ameri-
can participation in the conference.
remarked: "Well, l see you are all
on deck"
The delegates, after gathering in
one of the larger rooms at the depart
ment, went outside the building for
what is often the initial act in the
converting Of official bodies in the
United States-the taking of group
photograph.
Tedays meeting was designed to do
no more than scratch the surface OF
the problem ahead OF the American
representatives. 1t was called to per-
nit of a preliminary survey of the sit
uation and Of a general outline Of the
things to be done. President Harding
| has Communicated his ideas through
Mr.. Hughes, and memoranda were
available covering various points OF
| technical information, but personal in
| terviews with the President and with
military and naval experts were part
of the delegation's plans during IT.
period Of preparation.