The Washington times., 1922-04-11
TO SAVE
NAVY INVOLVED
WITH TREATIES
Administration Feels Effects
Of Propaganda for World
Disarmament.
BY POLTTICUs.

Tne Harding ADMINISTRATOR -
fighting valiantly to save the
United States navy from the back
wash of the arms conference For
in the propaganda which attended
that conference lies the strength of
the present effort of those who
would scuftle me navy. These propar
gandists are not interested In q
5-6-S ratio: they care little about
the relative merits of battleships
and submarines. They have been
enthused by the loud proclamattvns
OF eternal peace which echoed from
the arms conference surroundings,
and they merely do not know whore
to stop.
That is the danger of starting
things one cannot stop. All through
the preliminaries OF the Washing
ton conference. the Government was
warned of the inevitable peril of
stirring up disarmament hopes. At
one time, Messrs. Harding, Hughes
and DENLY undertook to halt this
propadanga. They INDUCED In Wig
|orous declarations that there was
no possibility of international dis.
armament; they inveighed against
the label of disarmament which had
prospectuses; they emphasized again
and again that all that the nation
could expect would be a retrench-
ment in armament.
Stirred Up Pacifists.
1T is always difficult TO cool off
enthusiasm OF this sort. Several
organizations which drew support
from high authority established
sideshows in Washington during
the conference and redoubied their
output of disarmament propaganda.
These had one dangerous result.
They stirred up so much pacifist
oratory and brought 10 Washington
such q deluge of misguided disarm-
delegates were afraid publicly to
put on record the real navy needs
OF the nation. They even feared to
present to the arms conference the
tnsistent demands OF the American
navy officials. lest Al arouse a dis
cussion In which the pacifist propa-
ganda would overrule our navy
experts.
When the fight got on the floor
of the Senate, this pacifist propa-
ganda proved an aid TO the pro-
moters of the treaties. II quickly
painted as mflitarists the Senators
who saw the fraud that lay con.
cealed behind the conpacts. II
sounded strange TO hear such a
denunciation ieveled against such
Senators as Borah of Idaho, who
had started the conference idea. but
It had its effect. BY its pretense
that the treaties would make i'm
possible future wars and would be
the first step toward real dssarrnar
fment. II held In line such proclairnsd
pacifists as Norris of Nebraska-
Proponents Thankful.
The treaty proponents were thank
ful for this help at the time. They
encouraged the propaganda which
deluged Senators with appeals TO
make possible this step toward
world disarmament Even some OF
the reconciled irreconcisabies found
an excuse for their position IN the
effectiveness OF this propaganda.
They declared that the conference
sary compromise TO prevent this
treaties had been forced as neces-
propaganda from compelling a gem
uine disarmament of the United
States, without waiting for similar
action on the part of other powers
Now this propaganda is bearing
Its logical fruit. Having forced the
acceptance OF the treaties, a mere
ly moves a step forward and de-
mands q further scuttiing of the
navy. The same propagandists who
worked so vigorously TO save the
treaties are af Work raouv ~ dexfrov
what little OF protection for the
United States was contained in
them.
To save the navy, the Admins.
tration must now fight the men
who supported IL so effectively when
the treaties were In danger. There,
In lies the present peril OF the
United States.