Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-02-06
HardmS's Address
Af Arms Conference

AZ Arms Conference
washington, FEB. s.-(By the AS
socisted press.)-The address made
by President Harding in. the conclud-
ing session today Of the arms confer
encc follows:
The Address!
"Mr. Chairman and members Of the
conference , 4.
Nearly three months aso it was
my priyiiege$to utter to you sihcerest
words III. welcome to the capital OF
U rc1ui :: to suggest the spirit in
wloi.h 81 we're invited and to in
.tiu,ate; Y ~a,lOsphere in. which you
wereGa 10 confer. In a very gen.
erAl " ,erhaps i yentered TO x
press sl S,lyue,s for the things towards
which or aspirations led up.
n v greater pleasure TO come to
make acknowledgements. 1t is one Of
the supreme colnpensations of life to
contemplate a worthwhile accom-
plishrnent,
at cannot be other than seenlly for
me. the only: chief OF a government SO
circumstanced as to be able to address
VIC .COIlACS c4IC 10 SpC@h tCOli8I
tions and to otter the thanks Of u
nation, our people: perhaps dare
volunteer to utter them for the world:
My " qualification is beyond my
capacity to express.
Great Achievement.
This conference has wrought q
truly great achievement. 1t Is haz-
ardous sometimes to speak in super
latives. and I will be restrained. But
/ will. say with every confidence. that
the. faith pliEhted here today. kept in
national honor. will mark the begin
ming of a. new and better epoch III
human progress.
Stripped to the simplest fact. what
is the spectacle which has inspired a.
about this table. nine great nations Of
the earth-not all. to be sure. but
those most directly concerned with
the problems at hand-have met and
have conferred on questions OF great
importance and common concern, on
: problems n1enacinE their peaceful re-
lationship, on burdens threatening a,
OF the public opinion Of the world.
without surrender OF sovereignty
without impaired nationality or Of
Tended national pride. a solution has
been found in unamity and today's
adjournment is marked by rejoicing
in things accomplished. II the world
has hunsered for new assurances it
conference has spread.
Unanimous Opinions Necessary.
i am sure the people of the United
States are supremely Eratified and vet
there is seant appreciation how mar
velously you have wrought. When the
days yer draeEing and agreements
were delayed, when there were OBJ
stacles within and h%indrance without,
few stopped to realize that here was a
conference OF sovereign powers where
only unanimous agreement could be
made the rule. Majorities could not
decide without i%npinEins national
rights. All had voluntarily to agree
in transaatins the conscience. Of our
civilization and give concrete express
sion to world opinion.
And YOU have agreed in spite 81
all difficulties and the agreements are
proclaimed to the world. No new
standards Of national honors Rave
been sought. but the indictments OF
national dtshonor have been drawn
and the world is ready to proclaim
the odiousness OF perfidy or infarny.
suit Of peace and the limitation et
armament are lev concetts nor tina
the conference Is a new conception
either in settlement Of war or IL
writing the conscience of information.
al relationship. Indeed. 1t Is not new
toJhave met in the realization Of war:
supreme penalties The Hague con
conference Of Vienna OF Berlin, o
Versailles are Outstanding instance
Of tho other.
J, Hagne Meets Defeated.
. "The Hague conventions were de
feated by the antagonism OF on
strong power whose indfeposition tt
cooperate and sustain led it to on,
come. to national eminence. Vienna
and Berlin sought peace founded o.
the tnjustices OF war and sowed tn
seeds of future conflict. and hatret
wa armed where confidence wa
stiff, ed.
; 1T is fair to say that humon prog
tion;.l relssonship. developed" com
m%unication and transportation at
, tended by a directing world opinion
: have set the stage more favorabl
; here. You I've met in that calm de
: liberation and that determined reso
luton which have mad a just peace
In righteous relationship, its own bes
guaranty.
: 1T has been the fortune Of thi
conference to sit in a day far enough
! removed from wars bitterness. ye
near enough to wars horrors. to gal
: the benefit OF both the hatred of wa
: and tho yearnins FOR peace. TO
T often. heretofore. the decades follow
!. ing such gatherings have heen mark
cd by the difficult undoinS OF their de
~cisions. But your achievement is su
preme because ne seed Of conflict ha
been sown: no reaction. in regret o
resentment eve can justify resort t
arms. ~ r.
. 1T little matters what we appvais
as the outstanding accomplishment
Any one Of them alone would hav
justified the conference. But II,
whole achievement has SO cleared tn
atmosphere that II will lik
: breathing the refreshing air Of a ne'
morn Of promise.
"Tou have written the first deliber
ate and effective expression of srea
powers. in the consciousness Of peac
Of wars utter futilty and challenge
tho sanity OF competitive rreparatio,
for each others destruction.
you have halted folly and liftc
burdens and revealed to the worl
thar the n sure way to recover fror
the sorrow n ruin and staggerin
obligations. OF a world war is to en-
the strife IN preparation for more Q
IT,. aud turn human energies to tn