Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-23

President Coolidge couldn't have oe-
vised a more appropriate ChrlslnlaS
Dresent for the whole world tnan his
announcement that the United states
is formulating its acceptance TO the
league disarmament conference. IL Is
not going too far to say that our par
ticipation assures the conference
eventual success beyond all rea soma
BILE doubt. That is because OF Amer
ica's predominant position in lnterna-
.ionaI affairs A universe burdened by
the cost of excessive ornaments VIII
chant a fervent hallelujah this iule-
tide in response 10 the news from
Washington The President will ma re
our adherence to the conference con-
ditional upon some guarantee OF al
firmative and constructive action. In
plain English, that means we shall
not go to any conference without id
vance assurance that it will do bust
ness. The United States will not in
Sist that this or that shall be accom-
plished. But it will demand that
Notwithstanding real. tangible
and effective-shall be accomplished.
If Europe and Asia are not able to
hold out such a prospect, the Amer
lean Governments interest in a dis
armament conference will wither and
fade away. Diplomatic negotiations
henceforward between Washington.
Geneva and world capitals will be en-
phatically couched in those terms.
Tentative discussion of the confer
ence has proceeded in Washington to
the point of considering the sort of
representatives the United States
would send to the conclave. There is
strong incliration not to appoint
special commissioners, but rather to
send an American delegation composed
of some of our diplomatic, military
and naval officials now on duty in
Europe. 1t is easy to foreshadow the
likely makeup of the delegation if it
is to consist of such men. Its chief
would almost certainly be Alanson Is.
Houghton, ambassador to Great
Britain. Many authorities call Hough-
ton the original patentee of the Lo
carno agreements, and the liasion
officer who brought about the advance
meeting of German and British minds
in connection with them. The League
disarmament conference. being the
offspring of Locarno. would naturally
find Ambassador Houghton in the
American group. Hugh Gibson, Amer
lean Minister to Switzerland would
automatically become one of our dip
representatives., IL lIS COtl-
ference is held at Geneva. All the
preliminary communications with the
League will be handled through Glib
son at Berne.
Y X x
In Rear Admiral Mark l.. Bristol,
high commissioner and special am
ba ssa dor at Constantinople, and Rear
Admiral Luke McNamee. naval at
tache at London, the United States
Navy has in Europe two offers high.
ly qualified to sit as naval experts
at a disarmament conference. Nc
Nance was chief of naval intelligence
at the time of the Washington arma
ment conference. Our ranking Army
officers in Europe are Col. T. Bentley
Mott military attache at Paris. and
Col. Kenyon a. Jones, military at
tache at London. American naval
and military attaches in both Great
Britain and France include Air Serv-
ice officers, who would be capable of
serving as aviation experts. President
Coolidge and Secretary Kellogg viii
choose our naval representatives with
the greatest care of all. Reduction of
sea ornaments Is the thing the United
States will be chiefly interested in.
We haven't much of an Army left
to "disarm.'' Economy long since cut
1t to the bone. Authorities like Sen,
ator Hale of Maine, chairman of the