Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-04-12

in ne Stars $1,000 school essay contest
Hunt Is sixteen yeats old and is q student at
peritts Preparatory SCHOOL,
Th( most significant feature of the
receft conference on the limitation of
armament is achievement In pre-
viou3 conferences, such as the two
HagHe conventions, for the establish
menf of peace on EARTH the nations
spokA sweet, meaningless words; ut
tered pious hopes; proposed Ctopias
of efery kind and description; hem
med. sand hawed if practical prop
ositiSn was suggested; and, finally.
concluded by doing nothing. Those
previous conferences lacked many of
the elements which are so essential
to the accomplishment of practical
results Perhaps the most essential
element which was lacking, was the
enthh siaStic and determined support
of the rank and file of humankind.
Behind the arms conference was the
impSling, irresistible force of public
sentiment all over the world. People
demanded action. AS the chairman
of tie conference, Secretary Hughes.
saidf Whatever governments want
the peoples of the earth want JUS
ce,speace and security And SO, the
delegates who assembled in Memo
rial Sentimental Hall, at Washing
ton, the 18th day of November,
1921 were men who possessed not
onlysthe subtle arts of diplomacy. but
also she plain, common sense of VIE
craftsmanship. They achieved great
results.
Tho achievements of the arms con
ference may be placed under three
headings, namely: The treaty on the
limitation of naval armament; the
"fouf- power treaty" and the far east
ern agreements.
THE treaty on the limitation of
naval armament provides that only
specific and limited number of capital
shipS shall be allowed to each Of the
sign4tory powers. Each nation is to
scraH several of its largest warships-
The sratio established in regard to
the dapital ships is five for the United
Statss of America, FIVE for the Brit
ish empire, three for Japan. and LIS
for France and Italy. Furthermore,
the tonnage of the vessels and the
caliber of the guns are limited
This treaty remains in force until
1850 The benefits granted are mani
foldf billions of dollars which were eX
pended for building huge navies can
now sbe used for the advance of edu-
cation. of science, of industry, of agri-
sculture. and for the care Of the old
and shelpless. History proves thai
competition in armament ultimately
results in war The naval treaty ends
competition by limiting the size OF
ships and the caliber of guns. If
the governments who signed that
treaty carry out its provisions with
the sincerity with which they agreed
to item. it will prove of permanent
and practical value in maintaining
Peal Isa, and goodwill among all ma
TIE keynote of the -four power
treaty" is conference. The powers
who ssigned 1.-THE United States of
America, the Brush empire. France
and Japan-pledged themselves to re-
Spect and preserve each others rights
in their insular possessions in the Pa
cific.s No mention was made of the
use Of military force. Instead. the
treaty provides that in case of dis
putes a conference of the powers con-
cern&d shall be called. Thus, by sub
stituting reason for violence rs the
arbieer of International disputes. the
fouf-power treaty" has limited the
possibility of future wars.
China has been for more than a
century source of contention among
seized by hook or crook" large por-
tions of China In the arms confer
enc4 England, France. and particu-
larry Japan, renowned their claims
to certain portions of China. The
American principle of the open
agreed to. China was established on
higher plane of national sovereign
ty than she had known for a hundred
Yeas. Thus the far eastern agree
ments show that the governments
earnestly desired the establishment
o. 'Ae square deal in International
q arms conference achieved
somSthing more than great material
results. Instead of old prejudices,
precpnceived suspicious and nationai
jealeuSies, it substituted plain un-
derS4anding, appreciation of each
others difficulties, tolerance for each