The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1922-02-16
THE ARMAMENT
CONFERENCE
Twelve Weeks Session Makes Epoch
Making Accomplishments.

armament conference at Washingto
reached an end Of its epoch-makin
labors last week and with an exchang
OF Fluctuations that are fully just
fled by its work, dissolved. 1t wa
the greatest international conference
ever held in the immediate practica
results II achieved, and this is tru
no matter what the fate of the treat
les which now go to the Senate fol
confirmation.
In appraising che work Of the con
ference il is 10 be recalled that be.
fore Senator Borah introduced his re.
solution Congress faced the impossi.
bility Of redeeming campaign pledges
for reduced taxation because Of the
colossal naval program, regarded as
necessary against the menace Of Jap
an. The country was fairly embarked
on plan Of naval expansion that was
calculated in three years TO make the
American navy the greatest on the
seas, the British not excepted. The
consequences Of this prodigious pol
icy Of armament were fatal to econo-
my in any direction and incidentally
checked any attempt at reduced land
armament. The unacceptable extraya-
gence of naval expansion had the
moral effect upon Congress Of dis
enlargement Of all effort at economy
Of the government generally.
Wholesale reduction of great navies
and immediate cancellation Of the
navy expansion program, due 10 this
conference. gave heart to Congress
and the administration TO cut budgets
in every department, and we can
thank the arms conference not only
for what II has accomplished directly
in the line Of it's own program, but for
the saving Of million dollars day
in the cost of the government already |
effected, with greater savings to come
in 1922.
To say that the conference is a sue
cess. therefore, is a mild statement
of the fact 1t is monumental
of the governments concern
ed, and of President Harding's admin
istration as responsible for calling
H. Nothing that the government viii
io in Congress or otherwise in taxa
lion or constructive tariff legislation
Or transportation or agricultural Gre
lit and cooperation will have the
ar reaching consequences Of benefic-
.nce to this country and the world
hat will follow the armament con-
ference.
Congress now is facing the problem
how to raise the means to pay the
gigantic soldier bonus. The arms
conference throws no light on that
question, but before the first INSTALL
nent Of the soldiers bonus is to be
paid the arms conference will have
'sved the money to pay it, which
otherwise would have gone into naval
Irma ment, and it will continue rs it
,oes along to save the sums needed
o meet the soldier bonus.
For the arms conference has inde-
initely put off a menace of war that
vas real because it was being prepar-
d for and nothing was being attempt
d to forestall it. The navy-scrapping /
orestalls it necessarily, and IL the
difference accomplished no more
han the scrapping Of battleships ag- {
'regating hundreds of thousands Of r
ons 1t would have been one Of the q
reatest historic achievements of
american craftsmanship. S
The arms conference, however, has '
ccomplished something towards gal q
anizing China into independent ma d
onal life, freeing it from bondage to u
apsn and clearing the way to Chin
Sc economic development by the CO. 5
peration of Western peoples without t
lscriminxtion. The old order of v
spheres OF influence" has gone by s
he board and will probably never be r.
STORED. The future of China is now o
rgely up TO the Chinese. G.
The conference settled for the I'M Il
ed States the question of fortified (,
on Of Pacific possessions, coaiing k
.ations and naval equipment stations Il
nd this win mean great money saw a
Ig to the tax ridden people, in addi- r
on to disposing of possible provo o
ition OF war. "
The accomplishments and agree h
ents Of the conference have yet to Il
IN the gauntlet of the Senate, but F
he Senate can not rip these agree d
ents up or render them futile and o,
ngatory without bringing down upon 3,
self the judgment Of the American t.
eople, and there is little fear that m
lie real work of the conference will d
ow be undone by the Senate.
Rabbit Drive Planned.
Guy Martin Yesterday received