The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-01-29

came to Washington there was ar
u~nmistakable feeling to be detected
ever in the statements of the most
reserved. a notion that the Wash.
ington conference had been called
with an idea OF finding a substi-
tute for the league of nations, a
substitute which would be power.
fully launched since 1t would have
The backing of the United States,
whose absence from the league of
nations had been generally re-
GREETED.
Everyone remembers that in the
tlrst days OF the Washington con-
ference the words Association OF
nations" were on all lips. The
statement was made again and
again; 1t was made ever by the high
est American authorities, that there
Was actually In existence in Wash
i1gton an association of nations and
attention was called to the fact that
without any elaborate or
intricate machinery representatives
OF nine nations had been brought
together to do something which cor
responded to many Of the tasks of
that body which was created by
the Paris conference
Would Have Had Prestige.
Moreover, 1t was realized in adj
vance that IL the Washington con-
ference could deal with the question
OF the limitation of land and sea
ornaments. could resolve the prob
lens Of the Pacific and establish
a system OF peace on the mainland
OF Asia, the prestige OF the Ameri-
can gathering would be enormous
and nothing so far achieved at Ge-
neva could be regarded as rivalling
the Washington performance. y
But without attempting now to
pass final judgment upon the work
Of the Washington conference, It be-
comes clear that neither the dues-
ton Of the limitation of land or sea
ornaments, nor OF weapons of war
nor OF regulations of combat will
be settled save only as perhaps the
agreement already reached as TO
capital ships and accepted by the
i've sea uDwers here represented
may stand.
For the rest, the regulation Of
the submarine, of the airplanc, the
effective restriction OF the use of
poison gas, all these are matters
which remain TO come Before that
committee OF the league of nations
/. which Is engaged upon the task of
investigating the whole field of
ornaments and conduct In peace
~ In a To put the thing SIM
ply, there is not the smallest sug-
gestion now that the Washington
conference will prove a sclf-per-
petuating body or that the confer
ence idea as cOntrastcd with that
OF h permanent Geneva assemb-
a has taken root and will gin
confidence.
The American people will have to
make up their minds to the fact
That in spite OF the Washington con
ference or on account of It. the Eu-
ropean nations which have been rep
resented here and the European ma
lions which were not represented
fhave not been shaken in their ad
herence TO the Geneva organization
and that the French. the Dutch, and
not impossibly eve the English have
seen in the circumstances of the
washington conference reasons for
having increased rather than dimin-
ished respect and faith In and for
the league of nations.
Certainly the Washington expert
ment might have proven a danger
Gus peril TO the Geneva undertake
Ing. Success, that unlimited sue
cess which at least to American eyes
seemed to be promised on the first
days, would have done much TO
prove the accuracy of the severest OF
American criticisms of Mr.. Wilson's
conception. Everyone remembers
that In the early hours OF the Wash
lngton conference comparisons be-
tween Washington and Geneva were
found at every turn, emphasized In
all directions. There was a moment
when even the president OF the
United States himself, led by the ini-
ual promise of, the Washington gath
ering, seemed to forecast the speedy
Transformation of this gathering into
an actual association OF nations and
American membership in such an
association aroused applause and
hope in Europe.
The Shadow OF Paris.
But after the early prosperous
days, the way OF the Washington
conference has closely paralleled
mat Of the Paris conference. AL
though we were o~stensibly dealing
with problems OF the Pacific, the
shadow Of European disagreements
mas overhung us and differences OF
opinion between France and Great
britain have served to produce and
70 promote the same discord which
characterized the conference oil
Paris, Mr.. Hughes, for the United
luates, has been compelled to rec
fssnize TO accept and to bow to Euro
e conditions In precisely the
ame fashion as Mr.. Wilson. The
iect has been disclosed that the main
OBSTACLE to international association
OF any sort is found in the world
conditions rather than in the sweak-
ness Of the league OF nations OF Mr.
wilson.
In graphing with the Pacific
problem. MIR. Hughes has been
|. forced To make concessions and
compromises each OF which sug-
sests a Paris conference. That
ionr-power alliance which was the
nrst definite product OF the WASH
mgton gathering recalled very
strongly much that was written
MnIL H. -