The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-11-14
PEOPLE OF WORLD
ACT AS GANG-BOSS
OVER DELEGATES
Declares Americas Plan
To R educe Navy Is
Ks Only Beginning.

NEW YORK. Nov. 13.-Secretary
OF State Charles E. Hughes made a
good bargain" in presenting Amer
ica's proposal for a naval building
holiday and the scrapping of certain
ships. but lit is only a beginning"
said Senator William f. Borah, of
Idaho, "and will not trust the dip
lomats of the world to follow 1t up
without public opinion standing
sSor them as a gang boss to keep
them at their task"
senator Borah is IN New York to
address a meeting at Carnegie Han
on the Limitation of armament. He
had outlined his address before
leaving Washington. but the Hughes
proposition of yesterday necessi-
tated some Encouragement of his re-
marks.
Public opinion is the real author
Of the Hughes program, Senator
HOrah believes. Six months ago, he
declares. the Harding administra-
ton would not have had the temer-
ity to present such a plan. But the
mass will has been pressing upon
the rulers of the world since then
with the result that now Secretary
Hughes Il permitted actually to
start something in the matter OF
limiting preparations for war.
Says Public Opinion Did 1t.
1T shows that We have reached
the turn in the road" said the Sem
ator. and The next most important
thing Is the openness with which
Nr. Hughes was able to present this
proposal to the world.
Public opinion did it, But we
must remember Mr.. Wilson's four
teen points Remember the enthu-
siasm that greeted them. Then Mr.,
Wilson went to Paris, and there was
secrecy. and public opinion dozed
And what was left of the fourteen
points when he came out OF those
conferences
In detail. the most important OF
Mr.. Hughes proposals Is the lnvi-
building holiday. That would en-
able the United States. Great Brit
ain and Japan to effect an annual
saving of about $1,000, OOO. 900; $780,
100000 each by the United States
and Great Britain and about $780,
O0O. 1000 by Japan But the i've ma
lions in the conference have an ag-
gregate yearly expense for arma-
ment OF $4,000. 0OO. 900, so I say that
even II the proposal is accepted, we
will have made only a beginning.
Years to Accomplish Reduction.
what should like to emphasize
Is that the limitation Of armament
will not be accomplished in this con-
ference in Washington. 1t will be
a matter of years before all the
nations now supporting large land
armaments will reduce them pro-
portionately and they will do so
then only if the people keep at their
statesmen"
Senator Borah said he did not
wish to appear TO be minimizing
the intrinsic Importance of the
Hughes proposals. He thought
that the United States, Great Brit
ain and Japan would save consid-
cradle money through the scrap
ping Of the vessels which 1t is pro-
posed to abandon. but he insisted
on viewing the sensational pro-
nouncement of yesterdays opening
session as merely the opening Incl
cent. DeHenCchl lHtluVhAf III al
era which will relieve the peoples
Of the world in proportion as they
crack the whip over their repre-
sentatives.
In his prepared address. to which
he added the foregoing opinions
senator Borah summed up the ma
val armament problem as com
petition between the United States
Great Britain and Japan and de-
rnanded to know against whom
each of these nations was building
n not against one another. He
therefore put 1t up to them tc
come TO an understanding for the
sake Of the worlds peace, insisting
that their respective peoples have
neither the desire to fight one an
other nor the endurance to go or
supporttns the financial burden OF
naval armament on SO great
scale