The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-05-14

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Ut Is not without reason that
Arthur Balfour has termed
the Washington conference
unique in history" For it has ac-
complished peacefully that which
could never before have beer achieved
without widespread bloodshed: it
has produced the civilized equivalent
OF great and decisive naval battle;
and. as one observer has remarked,
it has succeeded in sinking more
ships of war than has any Admiral In
history. More important still, it has
established partnership of the seas
between nations that would other
wise have been rivals; it has averted
the competition that was almost Ger
tain to have taken place between
Great Britain and the United States
for the mastery of the waters; and
1t has ,obviated all danger of that
warfare which, history teaches us,
has invariably resulted in the past
between two nations contending for
maritime supremacy.
Such are the conclusions which
Mark Sullivan reaches in his enter
tanning and highly Informative study
of the Washington conference. This
convention. the author indicates. is
to be considered one of the high
water marks of history; accordingly
he treats it as though he were re-
cording climactic scene in the old
Roman Senate. and writes with a
keen eve for dramatic values and
with shrewd sense of the epic i'm
From beginning to end he describes
the work of the conference vividly
and convincingly, portraying the
principal delegates graphically and
weaving an interesting narrative
from their activities. We see Arthur
Balfour, subtle in diplomacy, dex-
trous in conversation, generous and
warm in his sympathies; we observe
Baron Kato, an impressive" man,
whose eyes peer out from his well
proportional head like the glowing
telligence"; we watch Mr.. Hughes,
who has lost much of his old rigidity
Of manner, and speaks with genuine
d;rectness, power and conviction;
and we live again through that dra-
matte moment. when, after having
delivered himself Of the usual COM
monplaces, Hughes takes the con-
yention by storm and presents his
unprecedented and epoch making
proposal for a naval holiday and the
scrapping of battleships.
It was not to be expected that sq
wide reaching a program would be
adopted instantly; and we follow
with the author, as enthusiastically
as though this were the first We had
heard of "the great adventure" the
troubled progress of the American
proposals, the difficulties they en-
countered from France and from
Japan, and their final triumph over
the obstacles that threatened them.
We are convinced that for the most
part the delegates were working
whole heartedly and sincerely for
the reduction of ornaments; that
they desired nothing so much as in
ternational harmony, and that what
ever Disbursements arose were due
mainly to a natural and entirely
honest conflict of opinion. To this
generalization, however. one impor-
tant exception must be noted, and
that exception was to be seen in
the attitude of the French delegates.
After battling stubbornly for four
wears in the interests Of human
liberty; after having received the
hearty support of England and the
United States in what was for her
a life or death struggle, France
might have been expected to CO.
operate at least partially with her
former allies in their attempt TO
suppress that militarism she her
self had combated with her very
life blood. Instead, as if she had
become converted to the Prussian
point of view, France proved herself
tho stanch friend instead of the FOO