Vernon Parish Democrat., 1921-08-18
WILL BRING BIG
MEN TO CAPITAL
DISARMAMENT CONFERENCE IN
WASHINGTON TO BE EVENT
OF VAST IMPORTANCE.
NAVAL REDUCTION is FIRST
Some Nations, Like France, May Be
Chary of Cutting Down Their Land
Strength = Something Like New
League May Result.
BY EDWARD B. CLARK

BY EDWARD B. CLARK
Washington.-The disarmament con-
ference in the city Of Washington, to
be held some time in the fall, will
bring together an extraordinarily in
teresting group of men which may in
clude Lloyd George, the premier Of
Great Britain, and BRAND, the pre-
mier of France. 1t will be the first
time that a conference of such world
compelling interest has been held in
the United States.
There seems to have been some
misunderstanding about what disarm-
ament means, the kind of disarm-
ament which will be discussed at the
forthcoming meeting of the representa-
tives of the five great countries assO-
ciated in the war. The first matter to
be dealt with will be naval disarm-
ament, for it is recognized that so far
as some Of the countries of the world
are concerned, safety lies in the lack
of means of other nations to send
troops to their shores on mischief
bent.
The reduction of ornaments on land
probably will come in for secondary
consideration and action, but so far
as some countries are concerned any
decrease in the land forces is a matter
of high moment. This is particularly
true of France. 1t is known already
that, while France is willing to enter
into a disarmament conference, its
representatives will be charged with
the duty of seeing to it that nothing
is agreed to which will jeOpardize the
safety of the country by laying it open
to man power attack from the East.
France for years lived in the shadow
Of the German menace, and today it
does not want to re-enter that shadow,
nor does it want to enter into new
shadows cast by armies which might
be raised in a land farther East than
Germany, armies which would be
moved by a power bent on imposing
anarchic conditions on the rest Of the
world.
Russian Conditions important.
Conditions in Russia, present and
future, necessarily must be taken into
consideration by the cOnferees when
they assemble in Washington. Coupled
with the Russian conditions are con-
ditiOns in the lands south of Russia
where today matters are chaotic. The
Russian plus the Turk plus some other
peoples seemingly are recognized by
western nations today as holding pos
sibilities of trouble for the higher civil
izatiOn. The disarmament conference
will have a hundred and one things
to consider In connection with the
main proposition Of cutting down ar
maments and relieving the peoples Of
the earth from their heavy burdens Of
expense.
One of the troubles which will con
front the conferees will be what may
be called comparative disarmament
Under existing conditions in the worlC
it is probable that one nation, for self
defense purposes, must be allowed tt
maintain a greater war organization
than will be allowed to some other ma
ton. How much of an army will
France need for strictly defensive pur
poses, and how much of an army vii
the United States need for strictly de
fensive purposes? These questions cal
be multiplied to meet conditions IL
every land. Some difficulty will b.
met in supplying the proper answers
One thing seemingly is recognized b.
governing officials of the nations whicl
are to be parties to the Washington
conference-that the first real move
ment toward the peace Of the wOrl,
is under way. Leaders of all politica
parties in Washington seemingly ar
at one in appreciation Of the plan.
viii Society Of Nations ResuIt7
In the matter of the beauty Of dis
armament and general peace, ther
never has been a party line drawn Il
the capital. The same thing unqueS
tionably is true of the country at large
Political leaders have disagreed as t
the best means to bring about disal
mament, but today there seems to b
general rejoicing that the big nation
al lGdEL dIC WILLIE " w ~ -
to get together to talk things over.
= It is altogether too early yet, eve
to discuss the chances that out of th
conference will come something hk
an association of nations, or, If tn
term is preferred, something like
league Of nations. OF course, If ther
is a general agreement reached, tn
very fact that there is an agreemeT
will make of the countries which al
a party thereto a kind Of associatio
of nations.
There will be men who will say thu
it is a league, and men who will SO
that 1t is not a league, for the viewpoil
depends entirely upon the positio
which men have taken in the pal
upon the efforts of the last administr
tion to form a league and the appareI
efforts of the present administratic