The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-02-05
TIE scRApPING TREATY.

II IL not altogether faoetious to cali tho
product OF tho Washington conference tho
sorapplng treaty, because Il does provide for
considerable sornpping Of naval armament here
and there over tho world IN addition 60 the fact
that considerable scropping done while tho
accommodation was being reached.
The agreement between tho naval powers Of
the world falls short OF tho fondest hopes Of
many, is true. That It goes quite ms far as
could have been expected In Wow OF the prac-
tical consideration which must always be ok
pectcd 10 exert tho major Influence IN such
matters IN likewise true. THAT a very substan-
tlal step has been taken towards more sym
pathetic understanding between those nations
and In tho direction Of a longer period OF peace.
Justified by the event.
II will not oscape tho careful reader that the
terms OF tho agreement are alert with the Ieal-
ousles OF sovereignty the approach to every
commitment, implied or specifies that after
every such commitment there is carefully pro-
vided door through which distressed SOW
orognty may find egress " necessity orders.
ny distressed sovereignty wo reror to tho pub
lie temper which IN the final analysis Influences
all governments In their affiliations with and
relations to other governments Such, for In
stance. as is now being demonstrated by the
s not In accord with tho actions Of French rep
resontatlvos IN the foreign office and at tho va
rlous International conferences constantly TAX
ing place Those representatives move as fast
as conflicting minds they grnpple with permit
them, possibly as fast and ns far a. their better
judgment tells them France is entitled to go.
But they neither go far enough nor travel fa.:;
enough for French public opinion and the gov
ernmonts form and fall one after the other.
Probably only the American people. OF all
those represented In the Washington conference.
prepared 10 30 to the very limit In the
matter OF naval disarmament II appears true
that public opinion here would have willingly
supported q proposal from any quarter to scrap
every vestlge OF naval armament on the oceans
OF the world, Contending for nothing more than
that other nations join in such decision. hut
no other people would have gone that far
Whether any other might have with equal SO
curly Ia not at all the point.
Inevitably the product OF the Washington
conference Is far from satisfactory to those who
expected the most. II probably is true that It
Ia not entirely satisfactory TO any who partlcl-
pated In IT, That is usually the case whore men
of conflicting claws. ambitions and even charac-
teristics attempt an accommodation on any
subject. once again tho nations have met TO
perfectly cast the future OF mankind they have
conferred. considered, agreed and adjourned
And the millennium Ia not yet.
But if a bettor temper has been created. II
tho great world public has been treasured, II
suspicion has been at all allayed. then some
thing has been accomplished which IN part at
least must repay the effort and the expense
But no man will read the treaty without realiz>
ing how firmly the delegates were convinced at
all times that armed conflict between nations IL
inevitable. and that Il is the admitted duty OF
every national representative Ia first of all
guard his people against the surprise Of such
an eventuality.