The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-02-12
ENGLAND PLEASED
 WITH WASHINGTON
 ARMS CONF FERENCE
Public Is Inclined to Scoff at Root ResoIutionS-GoV- ernment Will Ratify
 All Treaties
By GEORGE N. BARNES British Parliament Lender

British Parliament Leader Special Wireless Dispatch to The Age Herald (COpyriEht, 1929, by The Age-Herald.l
 London, February 11.-Mr. Bal four and his colleagues of the Brit ish delegation to America are near ing their home shores today and the Washington conference has passed into history. Its decisions will in due course of time be dealt with by the United States Senate and by the various ratifying authorities of the participating states.
 In it's recommendations as well as in the motives which inspired 1t. the Washington conference has revived hopes of a real peace and a world settlement. It is true that many in Europe would rather have had the conference convoked by an all-em- bracing league of nations and most of us still hope for such a confer ence in the future. But we are all glad that so much has been done in the meantime at Washington for world appeasement.
 The indorsement of the Washington agreements by all the powers con cerned will lessen war-like expendi lures and remove causes of friction between the nations most likely to clash over far eastern problems.
 AngIo-JnpaneHe Treaty
 Incidentally, Washington has re- moved a cause of much speculation and possible Ill will between this country and the United States by the mergence of the Angfo-Japanese t1f ha nn pact regarding the settlement of Pa cific disputes.
 The Washington conference may be said to have registered three main positive decisions. These are:
 The stabilization of surface war ship building.
 The barring of the Pacific islands for war purposes.
 The restoration of Chinese territory to China.
 Regarding tho first of these it IS true that it relegates England to a position inferior to that which many of our people had come to regard as hers by prescriptive right. It has been traditional with us that Brit tania should rule the waves"
 And in truth Britain has policed the seas, but all of that was a con dition of things inconsistent with the growth of American wealth and population.
 Welcomes Cooperation
 We shall welcome the co-opera- ton of the United States In carrying out a task which had become heavy to boar, and we are confident that the nayies of England and the United States will work hand in hand, not only for the interests of the respec- fa. feHf ~ all nations to legitimate freedom of the seas. And the new allocation of sea power brings an immediate re- lief from competition in naval ship building as we'll as greater security to the world in Anglo American CO., operation.
 The second achievement of the Washington conference also brings retrenchment and security. It in fact makes Pacific warfare impossible, for it maintins the immunitles of the vast distances provided by nature Without bridging those distances by the use of islands as bases of oper- ations, warships cannot be offensive ly used.
 And the third decision is no less satisfactory. The restoration of Shantung to China heals an open sore and brings Japan into alignment with the moral sense of mankind The handing back of Wei HaiWei by Great Britain closes the chapter in past diplomacy which was not cred itable to the western world.
 Chinese Scramble Ended
 The scramble" for China is ended.
 It is regrettable that except by paper prescription an agreement was not reached on the question of sub
 I. l.at~ n~ to MT. Roots resolution forbidding the use of submarines against mer- chanment, for we have had an un- happy experience with the futility of so-called rules of warfare. We be- lieve that once war clouds burst. war lords will do their worst unless there is provision made for instant penalties for the breach,
 The Poles have proved this by the occupation of Wilma, in spite of the League of Nations rules and protestations. e. And the same applies to the use of poison gas. All that can be said for the Washington resolutions against submarines and gas is that they reg ister the abhorrence of mankind re- garding these barbarities. And with that we must. for the moment, be content.
 But the serious Washington treaties, apart from these resolutions, are a solid gain They will prevent war. That is infinitely better than making rules for war. And they will pre- vent the waste of labor in preparing for war. President Harding and all of those who have been associated with him may be heartily congrat ulated They have been privileged to render the world a great service.
 There need be no doubt about the ratification of tho Washington trea- ties by the competent British au- l thorities.