The Washington herald., 1922-01-15
By SIR PHILIP GIBBS.

TAR udidnSe octNtch lNs eo~Sceo efN
its failure H. the enormous task Of
arranging a worldwide pact OF peace.
In calling the conference President
Harding and Mr.. Hughes were care
full both ofacially and unoficially to
limit its purpose to certain definite
objects and to check the rather exag-
gerated hopes Of popular opinion re-
awakened and inspired by this sum
mons to the great powers. II was
limit I'd to the possibility OF decreas-
ing naval ornaments on a relative
scale In order to avoid competi-
ton in the building of battleships
which would inevitably lead to war
and as a second and vital part OF the
program to create a friendly agree
ment among the Pacific powers where
by peace should be fairly secured by
a seif-denying ordinance with regard
to China
That broadly was the scope OF the
invitation to Washington but among
the ma ;ses Of peoples in many coun-
tries and especially. think in the
United States and Great Britain.
hopes went higher and faFther than
thai. This call to the Washington
conference was like a bugle call
heralding that new lead ership which
so many have been waiting for until
hope d sterred made the heart sick. II
seem ed to be the first sign that after
three years Of moral stupor and in
sanity following the world convulsion
OF war the leaders OF great ma
tons were about TO get TO grips with
reality and to begin tbs reorganiZa-
ton OF the world on a basis Of COM
mon sense economy and Cancellation
which would relieve humanity of
many lurking perils and restore the
lost sense Of security.
Has the Washington conferences
done that work or fulfilled these
hopes? As far as 1 can test public
opinion in England there is no be-
ffsf that il has done SO. There Is
still no sense Of security but an in
stinctive anxiety Of the future be-
cause of racial pressures and rival
ries stronger than any agreem mt
made in Washington and revealed
more clearly rather than assuaged by
the conference.
Japan is still hungry for expansion.
Her hunger Is not eased though she
has behaved at the conference tabl :
with good manners and some chival-
rous concessions to the immediate
call for self-denisl.
France has revealed a naval policy
surprising and alarming to her neigh
Dor across the channel. though
repudiating all suggestions OF un-
friendly motives.
Russia has issued warning
regarding her own interest in the
settlement of the Pacific, and Il
seemed like visit from the
dead, though Russia has a hun
dred and fifty million souls alive
whose descendants some time in
the future will not be lightly
disregarded. In spite of the mas
terly handling of the conference
by Mr.. Hughes and the real spirit
Citation shown " most Of the
delegates, public opinion, watch
ing from afar. has been made un-
easy by a sense Of sinister posi-
bilities and forces stirring under
the surface Of all this talk and
these agreements. This sense is
hard to define. 1t is like the feel
ing Of those who are sensitive 10
atmospheric currents foreboding
thunder. ! think il is due to the
heavy pessimism of peoples whose
illusions survived the shock OF
war but went down before the
shock OF a peace which has full
filled none of their hopes and has
left economic chaos.
First Step Toward Goal.
am one OF those who, see the
real though partial success OF the
Washington conference while real
izing that II has only been the first
step toward the great and distant
goal OF world peace. Let us look
at its practical achievement. 1t
has actually and definitely destroy
ed that competition in big battle
ships which would have been an
intolersble burden and most
powerful cause of suspicion and i'll
will. 1t has substituted an inter-
national understanding among the
great powers of the Pacific for an
Anglo-Japanese alliance. It has
pledged the honor Of sea powers
no more than that, but as much
to avoid the practical use OF the
submarine in time of war: II has
been said that Great Britain had
gained most of all out Of the Wash
ington conference. ] think that is
undeniably true, and the greatest
thing we. have gained, the thing
which to some Of US is the biggest
thing in the world. is a stronger
chance of Anglo-American friend
ship. There are foolish and evil
and suspicious minds in both
countries, let us not pretend other
wise. and IL the Washington con-
ference had not happened. the
building OF American and British
battleships would have been q
cause Of cancerous growth in the
spirit OF those stlrrers-up OF strife.
The jingoes in Great Britain and
those who profit out of war would
have beaten up a new scare and
because Of England's utter depend
ence on sea communications for it's
very life, IL would have been pos
sible, though not easy. to persuade
the people to bleed themselves
white in creating a navy equal TO
the increasing sea power of the
United States. That horror has
been spared us. and England owes
America great thanks for that
which she will be glad to pay in
friendship and in cooperation.
United states Not TO he Loser.
The United States are not going
to be the losers by what they have
done in cutting ouN that naval
1t means that world
msrgets will recover more rapidly
though not rapidly-thsn would
have been possible II the British
people had been crushed under new
burdens OF taxation. II means that
we shall be able to trade on better
terms with other peoples as soon as
the hides OF trade begin TO move
again and that will help toward