Evening star., 1925-10-20
More Than Gesture Demanded.


The Locarno security pacts and the
covering document are interpreted in
: some quarters as showing conclusive
~ that the nations involved will give
their support TO a disarmament con-
ference under the auspices of the
League of Nations. rather than listen
: 10 an invitation from the President
of the United states 10 join in such
a conference here.
y concluding paragraph for all the
Urea ties. which is included i'll the
covering document. signed by repre-
sentatives OF Great Britain, Germany,
France. Belgium, Italy, Poland and
Czechoslovakia, reads:
They engage themselves to give
sincere concourSe to the work already
undertaken by the League of Nations
relative to disarmaments and to seek
It's realization in q general accord.
saE Austen Chamberlain, British foreign
y secretary, while asserting that the
Locarno security pacts have brought
disarmament measure bly, nearer, has
been quoted as declaring that dis
Armament agreement and the neSo-
.liations therefor must be within the
League of Nations.
President Coolidge has let it be
known in the past that he would be
n glad to see steps looking TO disarma =
ment initiate by the League of Ma
tions go through TO successful con-
summation, and that the United
States would make no move that
would interfere with or prevent such
consumma ton.
In other words. this country is
earnestly desirous of seeing the world
disarm or at least limit the huge
ornaments which have cost the peo-
pies much and have fostered wars. ir-
respective of the association of ma
lions through which this may be
effected. The United States took the
lead in 1922 in the movement for
limitation of ornaments. and the
Washington conference did more than
any other previous event to rouse the
world to realization of what might
he accomplished through sincere ef-
forts to bring about disarma ment.
The United States is prepared and
has been prepared TO continue with
this work, when the nations of the
world should be in situation
inclining them TO further agreements
on armaments limitation.
Ii the League of Nations goes into
the movement for limitation of arma-
ments in good faith. as it must be
supposed it WILL the United States
will view it's efforts With entire SYM
pathy. IT, on the other hand, the
movement under the league should
he only a gesture, an attempted sop
thrown to the peoples who really de-
sire limitation of armaments and
peace, then the aspirations of this
country and the world in general will
have suffered. In some quarters it
has been suggested that disarma-
ment conference called by nations
which are still intent upon holding
their sovereignty over subject peoples
can mean little or nothing. The in
ference is that while these peoples
must be kept at heel. these nations
cannot and will not disarm.
t., President Coolidge has hailed the
reported security pacts of Locarno
as step which should lead to an
other conference on arms limitation.
1t has been his hope that such a con-
terence could be called here. He will
fully inform himself, however, before
any steps are taken by this Govern
%ment either for the call of a confer
ence here or for the participant ton OF
this country in such a conference
abroad under any auspices.