The Washington times., 1922-01-22
By JOSEPHUS DANIELS
(Secreary of the NaUy in Wilson's CabiueD
1.-The Washington Conference Has Dodgd the Big Thng Did Not
Touch Standing Armies Flying Ships and the Best That Can Be
S. Said is That Money win BE Saved"
lUy in Wilson's Cabinet)

class dealt with" This II a very
wide departure from the American
original plan Of a complete ban on
the building Of warships for foreign
account. And 1t Is an opening a.
broad as q barn door for building
for nations that might have secret
treaties. The United States ought
to have insisted till doomsday upon
1t original proposition.
8. There is limitation upon ships
that are to be airplane carriers and
the guns they may mount. hut on
limitation on bombs or ships that fly.
The airplane carriers are important
new additions to fighting navies, and
could be used for firghting surface
ships az well as for transportation
Of flying ships. But without limita-
ton upon aircraft or bombs, of what
value Is any agreement as to car.
riers7- As heretofore pointed out,
many of the best military experts
are agreed that the next war, II
there Is one as the conference
seemed to expect, would be herald
ed by bombing from the air. The
conference did not even get far
enough in this vital war instrument
to- approve in principle" but vir-
tually said nothing could be done to
prevent or lessen the danger Of
aerial warfare. IN other words:
Knowing that IL there is another
war 1t will be carried on in the air
or, by the products Of chemists.
nothing whatever is done to destroy
the agencies which need to be de-
stroyed or reduced. Is 1t not an
impotent conclusion when these are
excluded?
4. What IL a merchant ship and
"how old is Ann?" 1t was easy to
approve in principle" the limita.
ton Of the size of guns on merchant
ships, but nobody was found who
was able to define a merchant ship
or what are the International laws
that govern the status of the mer.
chantmen.. The italian and the
French and the Japanese insist
upon arming them as in the past.
II there are to be submarines-(and
the limitation upon these undersea
assassins Ia a jokeehow can mef-
chantmen be denied the right to
arm as heretofore?
In 1917 the American navy put
armed guards on merchant ships be-
fore Congress passed the DECLARE.
ton of war and their success in de-
Tending themselves against U-boats
was remarkable. II U-boats are not
to be outlawed, then merchant ships
will need to protect themselves.
And where have we gotten a real
effective disarmament on the sea?
Inasmuch as there is no suggestion
Of limitation of standing armies
not even approved in principle" is
written on militarism on land-and
there is no limitation on aircrafts.
ana poison gas, and death by chemi.
cal methods is not to be branded
as premeditated murder-the only
thing accomplished as to fighting
machines is limitation Of surface
ships. which may be liabilities in.
stead Of assets. And what does
that really amount to that could
be pointed to with pride and conf.
dence? THE mountain was in labor
and brought forth a mouse"
Everything worth while was
agreed to Gin principle" but when
the time for real reduction came,
what do we see? A number of anti.
quated ships are to be relegated to
some other service or sunk; certain
dreadnaughts and cruisers are not
to be completed. entailing a saving
to the United States of abont 5000.
10000; and what else, not now
speaking Of the nebulous agreements
as to China and the Far East? Vir-
tually nothing. An the high-sound.
ing regulations about limiting the
submarine activity against merchant
ships will be worth as much as II we
should cultivate rattlesnakes in our
backyard and tell the snakes: '"You
can bite men with red cravats but
must not bite men wearing black
ties