River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1922-01-05
Our Weekly Letter
From Washington
FROM JAS. A. FREAR, M. c.

France proved the old saying that it
is the nature of mankind to fight.
Great Britain, Japan and France with
the smaller countries agreed to the
Hughes plan to stop building what are
known as Capital ships, battleships
and cruisers, and ten year building
holiday is made certain. That part
of the conference agreement. has re.
manned unaltered and is great saw
ing in money bringing halt to the
naval building struggle between Great
Britain, Japan and the United States.
If nothing else results from the con-
ference it marks forward step. Last
week the French delegates however
refused to limit building of submar-
ines to the figure asked by the other
powers and served notice they would
build submarines practically without
limit and auxiliary or supply ships
and smaller fighting vessels as mead
ed, according to their present naval
building plans.
AS France has few large lighting
vessels or capital ships no particular
concession by that government was
made in the major agreement, but
the surprising spectacle is now pre-
scented of England through Balfour
and France represented by Sarrant
engaging in words that carry antago-
nism far beyond anything suspected
by the outside world. Great Britain
views with suspicion Frances sub
marine program which is not to meet
any German menace and Baifour
served notice his country would en-
ter into a program of building des-
troyers and small fighting craft with
which to protect her merchant mar
inc. The rift between France and
Great Britain came when the world
had supposed these two countries,
close allies during the war We're
equally close now.
1t also came as surprise after the
threatened strained relations between
japan and this country are seeming
Nv matched up by the ten years naval
holiday agreed upon and the integ-
rity of China apparently assured to
the world.
Secretary Hughes has had a monu-
mental task in securing agreements
from nations some of which have been
enemies in past years. Whether he
will be able to patch up differences
between France and Great Britain
cannot be determined until the con-
ference finishes its labors. The world
has grown so tired of war and suffer-
ing which comes through and after
war it seems a tragedy that a general
and complete agreement to disarm or
limit all fighting vessels cannot be
reached. A forward step however,
has been taken with the ten year naval
holiday that marks a great advance
ment-
Agreement has been reached to
limit the size of great guns to 10 inch
diameter that only shoot a dozcr
miles. Apart from the matter of pub
lie economy 16-inch gun is about as
harmless as a shot gun In the hands
of child who is prohibited from US
ing rifle because it shoots farther
Attorney General Daugherty is
threatening to begin wholesale pro-
secutions for profiteering and viola
tions of the Sherman antitrust law.
Suits in New York and other cities
are promised. In this city with flour
at $3.50 or as cheap as it has been for
ten years the present war time prices
on bread are to be increased another
cent loaf by agreement of city bak-
ers. If the Attorney General had
several thousand assistants to begin
proceedings against combinations IN
restraint of trade he might be sue
cessful but war time methods OF
doing business are hard to overcome
and it is a herculean task to make
substantial beginning. Last week
discussed prosecutions with Assistant
Attorney General Goff who said the
assistant prosecutors in his depart
ment were frequently taken away by
outside interests at higher salaries so
that he found it difficult to maintain
full corps of assistants. That is
one trouble with public officials that
government cannot compete in salar-
les with private firms and must de-
pend upon the character Of the service
TO induce men to serve.
President Harding has adopted a
plan of calling into the White House
for conference members of different
trades, businesses or organizations in
order to exchange ideas and wher-
ever possible procure legislation that
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