White Pine news. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1920-1923, 1922-01-08
FOREMAN LECTURES ON
ARMAMENT LIMITATION
tCDNTINuED FROM FACE ONE.)
grew the four-roWer treaty.

grew the four-power treaty.
Ratification by the different ma
lions involved will just as surely fol
low-nust follow-otherwise almost
worldwide national bankruptcy,
financial chaos and perhaps war; for
the disarmament plan Is so closely
involved with the pact that 4 failure
to reach an accord on the latter may
render the former practically a null
lily. II Is almost unthinkable that
any nation should refuse to join a
move which, while it may not mean
entire cessation of future warfare,
certainly does lessen that possibility,
and does also mean present financial
salvation. Even the United States,
occupying the favorable position
which it does as a money power to-
day, cannot afford to decline the step
which tends so largely to the rehabil-
itation of the world.
No matter what may be our several
political views, we W 1t not only TO
our country, but to humanity, 10
stand behind any movement which
will even in a small degree land this
is of no small degree) make for the
establishment of civilization: Il civ
ilization which in many countries has
reverted to barbarism as the result OF
war.
There may be clauses in the treaty
of which some of us do not approve;
clauses which perhaps We think would
better have been left out; there may
be certain responsibilities incurred
which, we donot favor. But treaties
are usually not idealistic; they are
practical; nor are they generally
unilateral-except when signed un-
der pressure. With nations as with
northumberland a nation is nc more
than a collection of individuals
when agreements are entered into
freely and voluntarily. each Is gen.
orally looking to a ~furtherance of It's
own interests of one character or an
other. In order to get something
which it desires, it must yield some
thing which the other desires And
where the result to be attained is as
momentous as on this occasion, no
such slight considerations as the sac
rifce of personal views or personal
ideals should cause us to refuse to
assent or even demur.
One powerful and !mpelling influ-
ence, and perhaps the prime reason,
demanded immediate, concert
ed and favorable action on the matter
Of naval disarmament was the urgent
necessity for a reduction of govern
expenditures. The burden of
taxation was pressing heavily, and all
100 heavily. upon the people. Means
Of partial alienation must be found,
and that soon, if possible internal
strife in some countries was to be
lverted, and If it should once start
10 one could tell to what end it would
cad. The suspension of naval CON-
,truction for a ten-year period affords
1t least partial relief. 1t is reliably
that the saving to the tax
payers of the United States will no.
be less than 5000 100000 annually.
anG that Great Britain and Japan will
each save a like sum; France perhaps
Tot so great an amount. Thus We
zee in these first three countries alone
reduction in taxation amounting to
5000, 100000 annually, with an ad-
1itional sum of probably 500. 000,-
300 in France, all of which will nat
be diverted to the channels of
trade And when we consider what
5000, 900 900 per year would accom-
plish in this country, If applied to
our internal improvement and devel-
opment, such al highway construe-
ton, arid land reclamation and the
like, a man must be indeed blind to
conntrys interests and to the well
fare of its citizens who would persist
in advocating the old order of things.
With the necessity of a constant
state of preparedness for war so
greatly lessened, there would like.
wise be a diminishing need for the
various government bureaus and de-
partments more or less related to the
business of war, and additional re-
auctions in expense and consequent
taxation would be effected. Nations
viii have a breathing spell in which
to consider their internal questions
and to attempt the peaceful solution
of various International problems
which are urgently demanding atten-
ton. But the financial relief afforded
by a naval holiday must not be al
lowed to lull the minds of nations
into a n of faneied security from
war; additional measures must fol-
low II the risk of war is TO be perma-
nentlv reduced and finally eliminated.
One of the most critical and press
ing questions of the hour is the Chi
nese puzzle. If that can be solved in
a manner acceptable to China, as well
as to the other nations Interested,
one great source of irritation and
provocative cause for war will have
been eliminated In past years China
has been practically drawn, quartered
and dismembered; her as~sailants. like
the headhunters of Borneo. have dis
tributed the bits among themselves
IN order that all should he equally
involved in the deed. Yet. inconceiv-
able as 1t may appear, life till re-
mains in the body. as some of those
implicated are now discovering. Tho
ruler OF China has beer virtually p
man without a country sovereign
without a sovereignty. With hun
dreds of millions of subjects. he was
powerless to rule them except under
the tutelage of another; with a vast
empire at his feet he could exercise
no rights of ownership or control un.
less by permission, tacit or otherwise,
OF a foreign dictator. Perhaps no ma
tion on earth, desiring to be at
peace with all, has been subjected to
such predatory raids as have been
visited upon China. Concessions have