Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-11-20
ARMSPARLEy CALL
UP TOEUROPE, us.
OFFICIALS BELIEVE
Position of America Renders
Action by Coolidge Impos-
sibIe. Observers Say.
QUESTION FAR Different
FROM CUT IN SEA POWER
Nation With Largest Army Should
Summon Conference, Is Ad-
ministration View.
by DAVID LAWRENCE.

BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
although the United States Coy
sgument is deeply interested in every
move that may reduce the cost of
nInameuts to the civilized world and
L. sen the chances of war. the Cool
iG2e administration expects the initia-
tive in respect to land armament re-
auction to come from European
powers.
senator Borah and others who feel
Tie American Government should call
suother arms conference are of that
opinion largely because they think
That unless the United States takes
IL hand III the land armament ques-
ton. as was the case with naval
armament. little will come of the talk
OF reduced armament.
#, on the other hand, the United
States Government felt that the mere
call of An arms conference was an
assurance OF success, President Cool
Idge would call one overnight. That,
however, isn't the case and, unfor-
funateiy. there are some factors
which make it apparent the Amer
ican Government can only helpfully
advise and cannot compel reductions
even by force. of opinion occurred
with the naval conference. AT that
time America came forward at the
very outset and proclaimed 4 pro-
gram of sacrifice. Having one of the
two leading navies in the world. the
Tnited States could take the leader
ship, and by her example compel the
others TO follow or be placed in the
awkward position OF blocking reduc-
ton.
New Question Differs.
With land armament the whole
question changes. The United States
has one of the smallest standing
armies in the world, just enough for
police protection and probably not
as much as European powers with the
same length of boundaries would
think was safe. For the United States
TO announce her Willingness to cut
her standing army would have no ef-
feet on European powers and
the administration knows that all
too well. When the last arms
conference was held in Washington,
Premier Briand told the world how
France regarded the question of land
armament and virtually killed all
chance OF even discussing the ques-
tton in the same conference with ma
val reduction. The American COM
mission was reluctantly compelled to
agree to that viewpoint or else enter
into controversy over reparations
and the security of France This is
still the obstacle against American
entry into the discussion of land
armament.
The Coolidge-Hughes administra-
rion is trying scrupulously to keep
ont of European parleyS about from
tiers. security, offensive and de-
fensive alliances and all the other
intricate political problems that are
wrapped up in the debate on whether
4, Il CT,
be retained to prevent another Euro
pean war.
L. s. Sympathy With Europe.
The American Government is deep
ly sympathetic-that is about all that
can be said at the moment Should
conference be called, America
would accept an invitation to be
present and would lend a helping
hand at every turn TO make the con-
ference success, but nation which
eSchews European problems cannot,
il is felt by the highest Government
officials, enter into the land arma- /
nent question without being incon- |
sistent and doing the very thing the
administration in its recent cam
paign promised not to do.
The President and Secretary Of
State look, therefore for Europe to
take the initiative. If Europe wants
the conference held in Washington, d!
America probably would gladly con-
sent, but there is a feeling that the
place for the next armament confer |
ence is in the country which has the !
largest army and which must come
forward with program to which
other nations can subscribe just as
did the United States in the naval
conference.
limitation n h,1i
submarines and other new weapons
of war are, of course, related vitally |
to the land armament problem. The
Washington conference was nearly |
wrecked by the conflict of opinion
about submarines, and the delicacy
of that question alone illustrates how
much more complicated is the matter
Of military strength generally.
Other Problems First.
The renewed discussion of an arms
conference while regarded as some-f
what premature, because Europe has
hardly digested the Dawes plan for
economic reform especially on repa-
rations, Is looked upon as a healthy
sign of the times. But before re-
duction of armament gets into the
realm Of tangibility there are other
economic problems that will become
involved in the discussion.
America has declined to discuss in
terallied debts in relation to the
money owed to the United States by
France and other allies. Interallied
debts stand out as the big unsettled
problem of Europe. Were they out
Of the way and a program Of pay
rnent arranged, the powers themselves
would, for economic reasons If for no
other, be interested in scaling down
the military budgets. It's considered,
therefore, here as a European prob
lem in most every phase and the
policy of the administration is that
the initiative in European questions
must come from Europe.
Copyright, 1924