The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-02-27
|EY|NC RESU[TSOF
THE CONFERENCE
ADMINISTRATION SUPPORTERS
ASSERT THAT A. GREAT DEAL
HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED.
OTHERS ARE MORE SKEPTICAL
Politicians in Washington Believe tho
Senate Will Ratify the Treaties but:
Predict That the Debate Will Be
| Long.
BY EDWARD q. CLARK

.o"9'
BY EDWARD 3. CLARK
Observation-Disclosures is taking
stock Of the results Of the conference:
on the limitation Of armament and!
Far East problems. Supporters Of the!
administration say more has been ac-
complished than was thought possible
Opponents Of anything like treaties
with foreign countries, unless they be-
merely trade treaties, declare that the
Accomplishment has been little or.
nothing. Take your choice.
Something has been accomplished,
however, and this much Is admitted
even by those who looked at the gath
ering at first with hostile eyes, but OF
course in saying this exception must
be made to those opponents mentioned
above who do-not believe in what they
call treaty entanglements. One Of
the accomplishments has been treaty
which, if ratified, as presumably 1t
will be, will send good many fairly
fine ships of the American navy and
some fairly fine ships of other navies
to the discard.
There will be curtaflment Of the
navy building programs of the nations
and this will save the people Of the
greater countries of the world a con-
siderable amount Of money. This is
specific case of accomplishment. There
are other promising things. but of
course whether the promise will be
fulfilled or not depends upon the fu-
ture faith of the nations entering into
the agreements.
Progress With tho Far East.
A great deal has been done In the
way Of trying to straighten out Far
Eastern troubles. The japanese pro-
TESS satisfaction with what has been
done and the Chinese are not wholly
reluctant to say that they have Sc
cured some things they hoped to Sc
cure, while failing to, secure some
things that they think they should
have secured.
Poison gas is to be inhibited as q
weapon of warfare by agreement.
Most people look upon this agreement
Jas one Of the major accomplishments
of the conference, but those who know
say that it is one of the minor accom-
plishments and that perhaps it will
prove to be no accomplishment at all.
The politicians in Washington gen.
orally seem to believe that the senate
will ratify the treaties which have
been drawn by the delegates to the
conference from the various coun-
tries. 1t will take two-thirds ma
jority in the senate to ratify the
treaties, but the administration lead
ers say that the required majority can
be secured in the case Of every treaty ;
but they admit that there will be a
long drawn-out debate before the end
of accomplishment is reached.
The leading politicians Of both
great political parties today are Won
dering whether the results Of the con-
ference properly can be made an issue
I'm the congressional election campaign
which will open in the early summer.
1t is said that the Republicans are
willing to put the results before the
people as mark Of administration &C.
accomplishment and to urge the return
of Republican majority to congress
largely on the strength Of the advance
toward peace in the world which they
say has come because Of the great in
ternational meeting called together by
1.-THE President Of the United States.
Democratic Course Uncertain.
The Democrats as yet have not
made up their minds whether it would
|be wise to combat the conference re-
suits in toto. The truth seems to be
that a good many Democratic leaders
believe that inasmuch as something
has been accomplished, It will be I'M
wise to 20 into the campaigning field
Ito speak from platforms of opposition.
The feeling generally in both political
parties seems to be that the people of
the country, irrespective Of their party
affiliations, think that anything which
lis done, no matter by which party, and
which looks toward peace, IS some
thing to be commended. Therefore it
may be that even If the Republicans
press the conference results as cam
paign issue, the Democrats will not do
much opposing, and by their reticence
lin this matter they probably expect to
make it in sense useless for the Re
|publicans to keep hammering away
iat it.
When the debate in the senate
opens on the treaties it will be found
that some Democrats and some Re-
Ipublicans will stand together in oppo-
sftion. Therefore, so far as the fight
on the treaties is concerned, there can
he no contention that the opposition is
Icomposed Of men of one political party
only. and hence that particular pc.
litfcal party ought to be defeated at
the polls.
Senator Underwood Of Alabama was
one of the American delegates to the
conference. 1t is said that he Is in
favor of all Of the agreements which