The Alaska daily empire., 1921-08-17
Disarming the Mind.
Vancouver Province )


 If Lord Northclife had been ambassador he could not have spoken more automatically than he did in his address the Canadian Club But through the sagacious which kept him to the written text and moderated his expression, intense interest in the Washington conference was revealed. Lord North cliffe may differ in many matters from some or all the ministers he is earnestly desirous that their hope for a happy issue of the disarmament meeting may be fully realized. When Lord Northclife says that just and harmonious agreement at Washington would be the greatest event in the history of the human race and that a failure would be unspeak able calamity his language is not restrained But this emphasis his diplomatic value. It endorses the words of President Harding and Mr. Lloyd George.
 Yet it may be wholesome to remember that it was in much the same spirit the world approached the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations People looked to the Paris convention to mark the beginning of a age peace and justice. Whatever critics have said since and may say now, it remains true that of the statesmen of the Allied nations went into that conference with the same nope and in the same spirit that they will take to Washington. The changed in two years. We more expect perfect wisdom, complete harmony and supreme idealism among international statesmen meeting at Washing ton than from the men others like them meet ing Paris
 This is not a note of Encouragement. It is rather one more warning against the persistent censorious that has followed the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations covenant Those who say that the Paris conference was an ignobe struggle for na tional advantage, that the treaty unworthy series of compromises that the League of Nations is sham and that the diplomatists of 1919 were selfish bargainers; who yet hail the coming conference realization of beatifc vison discredit the Washing ton meeting in advance No pentacosal fire has fallen upon the world since the Treaty of Versailles Dele gates from the several nations will still give their thought to the people they represent. There will still be differences of opinion matters of details and consequently the agreement that will be made must contain compromises Compromise, in the high form of concession is almost the essence interna- tional agreements.
 The truth is that the Treaty of Versailles is in all essentials just treaty; that the League Nations lis one of the greatest and most benefcent achieve mens in the history of mankind; that the failure and colapse of the League would be unspeakable calamity and that the statesmen who Paris at the close of the represented high national ideals and gave the world good service as was pos sibe in the existing conditions of affairs -
 But there were some things left to be done Even If the United States had become member of the League of Nations that covenant could have ac- complished all that is hoped and expected from the Washington conference Limitation of naval arrla- mens can best be arranged by conference of the chief naval powers and voluntary agreement to that end There is for good hope from this meet ling, if Lord Northclife advises, we disarm our minds well ships. The greatest peril that awaits this conference may not be the warlke and uncompromising spirit of the national leaders, but the mischevious malevolent egotistc and criticism of writers who will make it their business to mpue bad motives, suggest selfish interests pro- mote suspicion and distrust predict failure This and it will be we'll for the people all countries to be their guard against it. It not only for faith and hope but for the charity of that thinketh