Evening star., 1921-06-08
FOLLY FOR AMERICA
TO D|SARM FIRST.
SAYS Mr.. WEEKS
Must Wait Until All Nations
Will DismantIe Forts and
Scrap Navies.
ABH0RS WAR, BUT NOTES
'FEvERISH PREPARATIONS
Clash With England Would End
Civilization, He Tells University
Graduates.
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
NEW YORK. June s.-Declaring
that it would be the height of folly
TOT the United States to disarm first,
Secretary of War Weeks in an ad-
dress today to the graduating class
OF New York University, sal he hoped
to see this nation prepared to defend
Its rights. its sovereignty and its citi-
zens until the day comes when all ma
tions by mutual consent dismantle
their fortifications and scrap their
naVles. The university conferred
upon Secretary Weeks the honorary
degree of doctor of laws.
DO not love war" the Secretary
said. Il abhor it. No rational being
who has a clear realization of its
meaning wants to have his country
become engaged in war. but condi-
tlons may arise which make it, with
all MS horrors. the only alternative to
a dishonorable peace. Then every pa
trlotlc citizen wants war.
Does Not Anticipate War.
Il do not anticipate war" Mr. Weeks
asserted. but there are active and
feverish military preparations among
those with whom we might possibly
come in contact. And ] want to say
here and now that | cannot give a
moments serious consideration to the
possibility of war with Great Britain"
Such a conflict. he declared. would
in his opinion, be the end of civiIiza-
tion.
Il am well aware" the Secretary
continued, that a great many good
people in this country. indeed in the
world. believe that the time has come
when the world should undertake Z
general disarmament. ] am entirely
in sympathy with every wise and sane
endeavor to bring about the adoption
of world movement with that result
in view. But we must rem lenlher that
the passions of war and the disturb
ances to society, as we'll as to the in
dividual. cannot be overcome or for
gotten in day Only time, and a
great deal OF time, will bring people
and nations back to q normal condi-
ton.
How Disarmament Must Come.
THE past is history-the future,
mystery. l. wouold be folly TO let our
! hopes for the future bilnd our eyes
| to the facts of the past. History
! demonstrates that this world, since
! its very creation. has revolved in a
/ cycle in which peace ends in war. Just
| as war. in turn. ends in peace. i be-
! lieve that the world is gradually re-
| turning to a state of mind where. with
| a vivid recollection of the horrors OF
the past war, it can take definite ac-
| tion in bringing about a reduction in
armament. Under present conditions.
however. it would be the height OF
| folly for the United States to be the
! first to disarm.
World wide disarmament must
| come as the result of an international
agreement and must be done stimuli
! taneously. Prudence would not per-
| nit our disarming while others hold
weapons in their hands
Returning the nnSSihi1ifN of n
, conflict with other countries, Mr.
Weeks declared the time had come
! when this country must have
definite military policy. The national
defense act, which became law on
; June 4. 1920. is the policy which he
| thought should govern the Army.
! Secs No Obligations.
! That the United States continued
/ for so long without a military policy
worthy of the name" he said. was
| largely due to our geographical isola-
; in the affairs of the world. But
whether we like it or not. this state
of physical and political detachment
from the rest of the world no longer
| exists. The Spanish-American war
J left us with obligations in two hemi-
spheres: our flag has marched in Asia
with the standards of other nations:
| we have accepted responsibility. for
many of the islands of the seas: we
the Pana Canal and our
+; retreating western frontier has van
/ ished into the Pacific. Then came the
! world war
The logic of events seems to give
| US a place in world affairs from
! which we can hardly withdraw hon
! orably. This does not imply how
ever. that We should become part of
! a super-government. or that we
] should take any action affecting the
rest of the world in which the init
| iative is not entirely in our own hands"
The fact that the United States
| plunged into wars in the past and
,, ultimately emerged successfully
should not be accepted as proof that
the country's former military policy
was sound. Mr.. Weeks said. Victory
came in spite Of rather than because
| of that policy. he declared. He called
particular attention to the fact that
| I'll of the important wars this coun-
/ try has fought were followed by in
| vestigations Of the military system
which revealed that there was ex-
! cessive expenditure of public funds,
needless waste Of human life and un-
| necessary prolongation of the strug-
giles.
Lands National Defense Act.
| After an exhaustive sturdy of the
national defense act. Mr Weeks said
| he had been unable to find in il a
single requirement he might consider
unwiSe.
While universal military training
| is not possible at this time. he de-
clared, voluntary military training,
| which is provided for in the national
defense act, will prove of material
| assistance in developing a general
| policy of military preparation.
The selective service law used by
Continued on Page 2, Column g.