The Washington herald., 1922-02-23
Secretary Hoover De,
clares 1t Was First Step
In Disarmament.
TANGIBLE RESULT
IN LIMITED WORK
w a shington Achieve
ments Lauded in Address
Before Chicago Club.

war HdS Uceii urlNtH Tar DeyOnu
this generation. So declared Secre-
tary of Commerce Herbert Hoover.
addressing the Union League Club
here today.
The Washington conference was
the first real contribution TO the
problems of disarmament. he said.
There was a practical result-the
demonstration that. until the world
has solved its overwhelming and
urgent problems. the only certainty
OF definite and tangible steps lies in
attempting the solution of a mar
| row group OF problems by a limit
ed number of nations. he declared.
I'VE have a desire to help" said
the Secretary. but before our
strength can be employed toward
| economic stability a political foun-
dation must be obtained. Economic
| stability cannot be created in an
atmosphere of alarms and possibili-
ties of war. The conference was
far enough removed from war to
deal with it's causes in an atmos-
phere of peace. Its moral and in
ferential values cannot <be meas
ured today; they are of greatest
possibilities in the turning of the
| tide of world affairs that may save
civilization itself. For the present
we can be sure IL strengthens the
aspiration of the world that men
can find means and measures of
good will rather than force that
will assure the most precious of
human things-peace.
Naval Rivalry stopped.
Looking at the results solely
from our American point Of view
we can content ourselves in great
accomplishments. Naval rivalry
with England has been stopped.
The Anglo-Japanese alliance has
been abandoned. The. points of
friction between ourselves and ia
van have been settled. The major
difficulties between Japan and
China have been adjusted so that
good will may replace hate in the
Far East. The tide of foreign ag-
Sression on the frontiers of China
has been turned back. The open
door to commerce and industry ,sf
all nations in China has at last
been made effective. With all these
solutions a vast growth of malign
political forces have been uprooted
which. IL unchecked. would have
driven unalterably to war. The
world could not go on in these ri
valries in implements to kill. rival
ries that were based on growing
political irritations. without enter
ing upon the job of killing.
1T is not only a stop to the race
for armament" said Mr.. Hoover.
but It is more, in that 1t provides
an agreed ratio Of strength. This
saN
tions that protect the sensibilities
and interests and enlist the good
will of each of the great pow ers.
| Now that this ratio is determined.
I trust the day will come when we
can agree that the same. relative
strength. the same degree Of pro-
lection. the same national dignity
| would be maintained IL we were to
divide the units of strength by
some common divisor.
THE agreed limitations may not
bring so much immediate reduction
in taxes as some have estimated: !:
but had we continued in our naval
rivalries end with the programs
We had bCGOre us. our naval expen-
diture would have doubled within
another decade. II we had gone on
we would have spent in twenty
years a sum greater than the Ger
man reparatiOns.
THE economic gains Of this limi-
tation of armamepts are not to be
measured wholly by the saving in
our taxes TODAY, nor even in the
relief to us of further expanded ex-
penditure. The real gain lies in
the reconstruction of confidence and
hope in the world. I know of no
al II
closely or how intimately inter-
twined are these issues with our
daily business life than the tremen-
dous rise in exchange between the
countries in conference in the three
days after the conference assem-
bled. The change in the relative
values of currencies between ma
tions Is normally the result of the
flow of goods or money. and no such
'flow took place in three days. 1t was
flow of confidence between men
that they were more free from war
with its constant threat Of destrrc-
tion of economic life.
Frankness and Sincerity.
"The conference stands successful
in something more and equally pre-
cious. 1t set another standard of
tuNdnCc III IT'S lTdHhHeSe, llS Sill
certify, its absence Of diplomatic
trading or diplomatic maneuver.
Our President and our Secretary OF
State spoke from the : American
heart in the fashion OF the AmerI-
can people. Our colleagues from
abroad were inspired with the same
sincerity, the same frankness, and
the same patience. Here was a
demonstration that men of nine ma
tions may sit together. all of wide
ly divergent racial characteristics,
Of different national points of view,
and SUCCESSFULLY consummate a tan
gible and practical step for the
worlds welfare without rancor, and
without sacrifice Of national dig
nifty, Each and every one returned
to his own people with some addi-
tion Of the national welfare OF his
people.
Z There is q practical result in the
method OF the Washington confer
ence-the demonstration that, un-
til the world has solved its over
whelming and urgent problems, the
only certainty of definite and tam
gible steps lies in attempting the
solution of narrow group of prob
lens by a limited number of nations
most directly concerned in these
problems. This indeed is a lesson
Of importafce. for the difficulties