Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-10-23
COURAGE TO TAKE VICTORY
ALREADY WON IS ONLY NEED
OF DEMOCRATS, DAVIS SAYS

while we flow on its current as help-
less as the chips up on the stream
if that day ever comes-it will be
because the dykes Of conservatism
have been so stoutly built that they
gave to the rising of the waters no
outlet whatever, but held against
them until the flood was imme diate
and destructive.
No Relief in Reaction
eff YOU are afraid of radicallsm
in this country; if you want to pre-
vent radicalism in this country, you
will not do it by throwing your
selves into the arms of reaction.
There is no relief there.
1T was the great Italian states
man Cavour, one of the wisest men
of the last half century, who said,
do you want to prevent revolution!
DO you want to do away with radl-
calism? 1 will tell you how to do
it. 1t is by affording remedy in
quiet times instead of waiting for
the times when you have no longer
powers to guide the remedy.
"And that is sound wisdom, and
sound craftsmanship and what
firmly believe this country needs to-
day, not only for it's present happ'-
n IS and prosperity, but for its fu'
ture greatness and welfare, is
sane, sound progressive liberalism
than expects the best and not the
worst in human nature to prevail,
that believes the future can be made
brighter than the past, that does not
treat every complaint as necessarily
unfounded, but is willing to investi-
gate and apply a remedy if remedy
there may be.
"In short, I think we want in
this country a government through
and by q party that is willing in
the language of the great apostle to
try all things, but hold fast to that
which is good.
Il have been much criticised by
some of my Republican friends be-
cause it is asserted | have been
disparaging the purpose and the
results of the Washington confer
ence on disarmament. Nothing
could be further from the fact than
that. L have been, L am now, ready
and willing to give that conference
credit for everything that it accom-
plished. l am ready to approve the
fact that it was called and, in the
main, with some minor reservations,
to approve its results. But 1 am
equally determined that the Ameri-
can people shall not be misled as to
its scope and it's Importance; that
they shall not be persuaded that it
is the final answer to this great
question, or in the language of the
president himself, that it stands
among the revolutionary and SUI
blime achievements of the human
race
President Himself Deceived
Imagine my surprise when | read
today in the press under the hand
Of the president himself, comment
on that conference of a character
[ should have never made and more
disparaging to it, if literally perused,
than anything / would have ever
dared TO say. Let me give you his
words: We have recently entered
upon an epoch in which by interna-
tional agreement our navy assumes
a new relationship to the problem
Of sea power in the world Under
the terms of the Washington con.
ference, the leading sea powers have
united in the agreement that the
United States is entitled to maintain
a nevy equal to that of any other
power
'In the language of old Ethan AL
len, when did we need an agreement
with any pOWe rto maintain a navy
such as we desired? by agreement
we are now entitled to maintain a
navy equal to that of any other
power.
81 read on: Thus We are assured
or naval rank second to none,
while at the same time, under the
provisions for military operations in
naval ornaments, this rank is as.
sured to us without engaging in q
competition of maritime construc-
ton, and at less cost than would
have been possible under the old re-
gime of competitive building
By these agreements we are as.
sured of naval rank second to
none | wonder if that is true?
For Notwithstanding these agree
ments, Notwithstanding that other
powers have asserted that we are en-
tltled TO MAINTAIN a navy equal to
thelfS, the fact is, as the secretary
OF the navy says, that we are grossly
inferior today to Great Britain, and
barely equal to Japan. And it takes
something more than paper agree.
ment to assure a navy equal to that
Of any other power. Now, 1 do the
president this credit-of believing
that he really did not understand the
import of that language.
Il cannot believe that the presi-
dent OF the United States takes that
view of this question at all, and |
take it he knows as well as do the
American people that the effect and
purport of those agreements were.
that so far as capital battleships
were concerned and so far only, the
United States, Great Britain and
Japan would by common consent
observe ratio of five, five and
three; but that it was the end of
the competitive navy building [ wish
| could believe. I should rejoice il
that were its real scope and effect
and merely as first step in that
direction, 1 welcome it.
Hidden BattIeships"
But the American people should
not misunderstood. They should
know that fast cruisers and aircraft
and submarines have threatened to
become the undisclosed and hidden
battleshipS of the future-that all
those remain untouched by any
agreement that that conference
achieved. All that [ ask is that
mere partisan exaggeration in the
midst Of political campaign NAV
not lull the American people into a
security greater than they at pres.
ent enjoy"
The Weather