Evening star., 1921-08-28

ish premier often was able to emerge
from what appeared to be a tight
corner and walk away with the
honers. while his opponents. less
of daze at his avalanche of facts and
figures.
Those who know Lloyd George
best, predict that il he comes to the
disarmament conference here this
fall. he will be fortified, even as he
military intelligence and the British
secret service are at work gathering
data which will be of use to Lloyd
George, or whoever Great Britain's
representative may be. if BRAND. the
French premier. or Premier Hara of
of the thousand and one verbal
battles which are sure to punctuate
the deliberations of the conference
Nor is the United States idly stand
ing by while other nations are pre-
pairing the sfnews, of peace. On the
Navy building. just across the street
from the white House, a suite of
offices has been set aside for the ex-
perts who, are preparing data for
the disarmament conference Those
experts are, for the most part. men
of years of experience in the far east.
and they bring to the assistance Of
Secretary Hughes a wealth of first,
hand information as to actual condi:
tions in the orient
Mr.. Husheseafso may be expected to
draw literally upon the ARMY and
Navy for ASSISTANCE both. before and
during the conference. Both the mill
tary and naval Intelligence depart-
ments, which SO Enthusiastically proved
their worth In combating the efforts
OF Boy-Ed, ven Papen and Rinte1en
during the world war. are still doing
business at the same old stand, none
the less efficiently because of numerf-
cal reductions.
That the Secretary of War is fully
alive to the duties which devolve upon
him Is evidenced by his statement,
made shortly after the President sug-
gested the conference. that he had
already, upon his own initiative, be-
gun the work of assembling data for
use In the conference.
- y X
CURIOUSLY enough. the next days
Army orders contained instruc-
tions for no less than six military
attaches at various foreign capitals
to return Immediately to Washington.
Discreet questioning at the War De-
partment ELECTED the statement that,
owing to the scantfness Of the latest
Army appropriation bill. the depart
ment is practically broke; that in
view of this fact the wisdom of bring
ing Army officers home from foreign
capitals to Washington is perfectly
apparent. and that there was no sig
nfficance whatever In the fact that
some of the officers selected for re-
call had been stationed at perhaps the
most interesting capitals on the list.
In view of this explanation it would
be difficult to charge the War Depart
ment with wishing to learn from
those military attaches something
concerning the peace preparations of
friendly nations, but the fact re-
mains that the aforementioned mill
tary attaches ought to be able to talk
rather Interestingly on such subjects
when they arrive in Washington
few weeks hence.
II the close observer can detect
signs of the quiet gathering Of secret
Intelligence by the governments of
Great Britain and the United States.
the signs are no less unmiStakable
that the governments Of Italy, Japan.
and even of China. are engaged in
the same eager search for that
knowledge which will make for Sc
curity and power when nation faces
nation across the conference table In
November.
!. 1t is absolutely essential to each of
these governments that, before enter
ing into the conference, 1t shall know
fhe precise relationship Of its own
to other countries in the matter Of
armament, how 1t will stand with