Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-08-25

ed straight for more war. They know that they
cannot pay the cost of more war either in life
or in money.
That is the meaning OF the disarmament con-
ference. The political powers of the world have
called it because they know there is a demand
for it. They know that the common man, who
does the fighting and pays the bills, Is in a
striking mood. The control of war has always
been in his hands, and never could be in any.
one else's. Any time that he refuses to hght
there cannot be a war. Any time that he refuses
to pay there cannot be a war. And he Just now
has a bellyful of both fighting and paying
Therefore the political and diplomatic gentle
men will meet here to decide among themselves
lust how much they must concede to this new
mood of the common man. The result OF the
conference really depends upon him. He is pub
lie opinion. II public opinion remains steadily
against high taxes and heavy armament, the
politicians will have to make some concession.
ional animosities which will be aired, if its nat
ional risibilities are stirred when the georges
and Vivianis begin hurting defiance at each
other, then the great disarmament conference
will be one more Hague Tribunal, which ac-
complished no more for world peace that a sew
ing circle.
Statesmen of various nations from time to
time have expressed the view that nothing would
the nations of the world were too poor to sup
port big armies and navies. That time mas ar
rived now. When the delegations to the conieI-
ence called by President Harding meet in wash
ing in November, nations VIII be represented
having an aggregate debt of 1885, 00O,0 100000.
That debt will be the greatest hgure at III Gun
ference table.
Az a matter of fact. some of the great military
and naval powers of the earth are proceeding
already on the assumption that the conference
will succeed in Its aims, and are cutting down
or hating their military and naval programs
Reliabl information has reached American OIL
6cials that japan has halted work on her new
naval construction. Great Britain mas reuuceo
her force of marines from $1,000 to about lI,oVo
and reduced her naval personnel to 9O,OOO. oth-
err nations are following their examples TO a
greater or less extent. -
Conferences on the subject have been under
tvav in Tho limited States since before the elec-
ton last autumn. Roughly, the expected outcosne
of the conference may be set down now, so 1ar
as America is concerned, from Cd
tanned from the most reliable official sources.
American ornaments are expected TO pc re-
duced to twelve first line battleships in full com
mission. three squadrons of four ships eacn, d.
vided between the Atlantic and Paclhc. NO nH-
itations will be placed upon coast delenses'
which by their character Cannot be used Of
fensively. The standing army will be reduced to
between so, 900 and $4,000 men. The other ma
lions of the world Will agree to reductions IN the
same proportion. There will be a strong ana
definite Limitation of the numbers of aircraft
each nation may construct. The use or deadly
gases and submarines and their production Will
1t is the belief of the statesmen behind the
move for limiting world ornaments That the
| greatest security against future wars lies IN
| holding down professional armies and naVies TO
the point where no sudden and tremendous Of
fensive can be launched in the future, such as
Germany launched into Belgium in 1914. The
time required for preparations for war alter
a break between nations will be counted upon
to q large extent TO dlOW III iHJuiSu tcSAihoS ~
both to be smoothed down.
Many Efforts at Peace.
The earliest effort at preserving peace record
ed in history was made by the Amphictyonies
more than five hundred years before Christ. IN
1923 one Emeric Cruce, or de Lacroix, wrote
the 'Nouveau Cynee," proposing that the Eu-
ropean world agree to the formation OF a per-
manent corps of ambassadors which would make
Venice it's headquarters. The votes of these
plenipotentiaries were to settle all international
disputes and this plan formed the basis of many
brought forward in the intervening years down
to the present time. Hugh Grotius, the first
great writer on international law, published a
work in 1925 recommending the organization OF
Courts of Arbitration designed to constrain the
national parties to q quarrel to agree to settle
ment. -
The Duke of Sully in 1884 gave to the world
the program for a long time attributed to KING
Henry ". of France, under the title OF THE
Great Design" 1t was proposed that all or Eu.
rope be divided into fifteen states making uI
one great Christian republic. War was to Of
prevented by a conclave of forty delegates meet
ing annually in the most centrally located cities
of the fifteen states in rotation.
The philosopher Kant proposed a plan for per
petual peace in 1896, by the terms OF whlci
every nation would become republican in form
with a pooling of their military forces for tn
preservation of peace. William Jennings Bryan
| while secretary of state, had a plan to diver
military and naval appropriations in the United
States to the construction of highway with tn
idea that the United States, if invaded. woult
be defended by citizens armed with shotgun
speeding over these roads in AUTOMOBILES 10 TN
point of attack.
Ernest LandgraVe, William Penn, John Ben
ers, Puffendorf, Rosseau and others worked TO
world peace without success. The Hague Tribuna
accomplished little. Germany in 1914 shoWe'
the futility of treaty agreements between ma
tons, unless there is some great compellln
economic force in the situation to make observ
ance OF the treaty eXpedient. National seinsh
!, ness overrode every other consideration in tn
lust. National poverty seems likely to brln
3 about the accomplishment Vainly striven 10
throughout the ages. Kings, philosophers, dlplo
mats, and demagogues all have failed to sto
: waus but when the common man says nay t
t the tax collector, then war will stop, Tor
=. while at least.