Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-07-02
Why the Country APPROVES
the Borah Amendment

-HE House vote of three hundred and
thirty to four in favor Of the Bo1ah
amendment to the naval appropriation
bill gives striking proof of the drift OF pun
lie thought on armament reduction Inc
good sense of Americas comforting Win
Great Britain and Japan to see II by COM
mon consent there can not be an abatement
of the costly building Of rival fleets appeals
to the country's most practical As wen as
humane interest The people are waxing 10
the fact that almost ninety cents out OF eV-
cry dollar of the billions OF Federal taxes
required of them go for war deots anu
maintenance of war machinery, ana llttle
more than ten per cent for the needs OF
peace and construction. Shall the earnings
of business and the rewards OF enterprise
and thrift be thus indefinitely apsoroeu!
They asuredly must It compettNe arma-
ment building, with It's constant Impulse "
war, continues
Moreover Americans suffer, not only from
their own tax burden in this matter but also
from that which other countries bear, ror so
long as those others apply the greater part
Of their incomes to the increase ana upkeep
of vast navies and armies, they can make
little progress in paying their debts to US
and will have but scant surplus to spend
for our products. 1t is to our broadcast eco
nomic interests as we'll as to our highest
good that nations shall be free to deVote
their energy and treasure to things peacelu!.
America can initiate or encourage toward
limiting ornaments will rebound to ner
own and the worlds mutual advantage.
Great Britain and Japan both have 1ndl-
Gated cordial readiness to join US IN con-
ference to this end, the former having gone
so far as to make, through the Prime Mln-
lister, statement that amounts to an lnVl-
ration for us to take the lead, with the as
surance that we shall be heartily supported.
1t is thus not surprising that the vote LOT
the Borah amendment was virtually unanl-
nous. The only wonder is that the ADMIN
istration did not favor the suggestion from
the outset, instead Of first frown1ng upon IL
and then coming around with eleventh-hour
approval For in the proposed conference
this nation has nothing to lose but mucn 10
gain both for it's own people and Tor manKano'
Limitation of ornaments to De e11ect-
ual must be, of course, nternatlonal.
ONLY what others are willing to do will the
United States be asked to do; and assuredly
the mightiest and most resourcetul or POW
ers will not fear to go forward with otners
in so worthy venture. -.
The Borah amendment, it must be admit
ted is but halfway measure, coming IN
con gruously enough from one, who bitterly
and blindly opposed Americas entering
world league for peace and goodwin. But
halfway measures are far better than none
when nations are bending toward bank
ruptcy under the war load, their economic
and political structure allh0 LuTSdLCACu Will
decentralization If not ruin. Any step tnat
will make for co-working and construction
in the present babel of world affairs is step
in the right direction. Any policy that Will
gut eome measure of purpose and dennlte
result into our confused foreign relations
should be welcomed.
III this third year since the armistlce
America is still without treaty OF peace,
still without an understanding either with
Germany or With the Allies. She has come
to no terms with the enemy; she has made
no compact witt her friends; she has done
nothing, in so lar as the present Admins
tration is concerned, to bring order and re-
assurance into distraught and cropping
world It is incumbent upon those responsi-
BILE for the rejection of the Treaty of Ver-
sailles and for the sequent Ills to do some
thing in the way of construction and peace.
This imperative need Is met inadequately
and lamely, it is true, by the Borah amend
ment, but it is met in part. BY no means
will Limitation of ornaments make wars I'M
possible, but it will be step toward making
war less likely, and feverish increasing OF
ornaments will make war inevitable NOW
that Congress has spoken decisively on the
matter, plans for an international CONFER
ence, from which far-reaching good may
come, should be pressed to the earliest pos
sble contamination.