The Washington herald., 1922-02-03
Dynamic Quiet.

"IASHINGTONIANS carly grew base con-
w corning the arms limitation conference and
in many quarters informed citizcnry has been
prone to side with the less ssnguine journalistic
commentators during the latter stages of the in
ternstionsl gathering.
We may hearten ourselves, however, by glanc-
ing at the editorial pages of some of most
considerable newspapers. One of them, the New
York Tribune, points out that "the great work Of
the Washington conference has been done so
smoothly and steadily that opening has been left
for spectacular curtain climax. The sophisticated
critics have been making the most of this nondra-
matte ending. 1t is the only morse of disappoint-
ment which they can roll under their tongues.
They seem to find relief in contrasting this gathering
which ends in good temper and quiet satisfaction,
having made contribution to world peace which
every one accepts, with the peace conference at
Paris which closed tumultuously in passion and Bit
terness of spirit, and whose work many of those
who figured in it have since been noisily engaged
in tearing down.
THE Washington conference dominated by
will to agree. Its first moment was its most dra-
matte moment for the first session demonstrated to
a world which the experiences at Paris had made
skeptical that broad basis of understanding could
be and would be reached The conference was to
prove the possibility of open international agree
ments openly arrived at and also lasting in charac
ter because they represented solutions appealing to
the good will and sober of all the sigma
tories.
"The many true stories of what happened in
the shadows at Paris were mostly revelations of
haphazard, capricious judgments, personal antagon-
isms and underground intrgues. There was no
unity of purpose at the peace conference, no real
meeting of national minds and desires. Fewer
stories of what happened behind the scenes at
Washington will be salable. The public already
knows what happened. There is immediate and
logical relation between the discussions, sum-
married. in the communiques, and the hnis shed treat
les.
"Thc conference has accomplished great deal
more than any we'll informed observer expected Of
it. 1t has produced firm accord in the Pacific
which is its greatest contribution to world peace.
1t has brought about sweeping limitation of Of
fensive naval armament. 1t has restored the Ger
man Shantung concessions to Chna-something
which the Paris conference confessed its mpotency
to do. 1t has gone far on the road to the COM
pete recognition of Chnas territorial integrity and
political independence. 1t has translated from words
into facts the American program for the restoration
of Chinese sovereignty, which we, single, iso-
lated nation had never before been able to fortify
by anything but moral declaration and pious
wish
"To those to whom international gatherings
have always the aspect of horse trades poker games
or rough and tumble diplomatic bouts, the WASH
ington conference has been coorless and therefore
unsatisfying But in the way of pacihcation. elm
mating causes OF international discord emphasz-
ing common world interests and bringing nations
into closer and frieudcr relations it has been an
extraordinary success