Evening star., 1926-06-20

Continued from First Page)
possible for British reinforcements to
arrive in time to help the Canadians.
In this situation, what warrant
have we to go TO Europe and preach
disarmament? We have doubled our
Navy and pretty nearly doubled our
Army since 1914 France, for eX"
ample. has reduced her navy and her
army by anything up TO so per cent.
Obviously, from the French point OF
view. our only warrent would be if
we were prepared to say to France,
to Italy, to Poland. TO all the other
nations, Reduce your armies and If
Won are attacked our Army and our
feet and beyond this our financnal re-
sources will be at your disposal. But.
of course. we have no intention of
saying that.
Again, imperfect as it is, the league
Is the single piece of machinery which,
since the war. has been devised to
meet the problems of peace. Yet we
resolutely refuse to become member
of the league and thus 10 accept any
responsibility for the maintenance OF
world peace. Thus we Will not CO.
operate within the league or assume
the maintenance of peace.
In effect our representatives in any
arms conference can only brush aside
all the political questions which weigh
in the European mind and insist upon
discussing at once what with Europe
is the last and incidental problem,
that of the limitation of armaments.
ignoring the fact that Europe cannot
and will not discuss this subject
until it has in some fashion met the
vital issue of security.
Security Issue Not Solved
1t cannot fairly be said that Europe
has yet reached any solution of the
question of security Indeed, it had
not yet progressed to the point where
there is real promise of a solution
and possibly no solution is to be
found But what is true is that Eu-
rope has been working steadily and
earnestly at the problem. that it has
tried several partial solutions and
that it has certainly made progress
toward the organization of peace
which promises to last for. consid
erable time.
But it is still on that question OF
security and it is absolutely con-
vinced that it cannot deal with arm
kind of adjustment there. And this
is the moment we chose to come bus
Ting across the water with a new urge
to disarmament. Europe did not
want us. Our coming was COM
plication and an embarrassment, but
our financial strength was such that
no nation could afford to affront us.
1t was necessary then to find some
anodyne method of placating us while
avoiding any real discussion of issues
for which the time was not ripe.
We have had our domestic outburst
of anti-war propaganda. We have
had our domestic parade of pac1tist
notions, but abroad we have accom-
plished nothing beyond irritating the
not too friendly nations of Europe,
precisely as all our Ambassadors and
Ministers warned Washington in ad-
vance that we could accomplish
nothing. Now. apparently, we are to
settle back with the good old convic-
ton that Europe is fncurably militar-
istic and wickedly deaf and blind to
the light and learning we have offered.
The fact is, however. that Europe is
quite as awake as America to the evils
of war, it is working with all the
strength and ability it has to find some
method by which to organize peace,
but it is limited by the realities of it's
own condition and history, which our
country does not have and does not
recognize. At a moment when the
roast is just being put on the fire, we
have arrived and insisted upon serv-
| ing the meat, that is the size of 1t.
AS for the preliminary conference 1t
failed as it was bound to fail because
nothing could or can be done of real
| Importance in the matter of the limi-
tation of armaments until Europe has
found some viable solution of the
problem of security or has settled
down to some compromise which salts
fies it's very natural and wholly under
standable fears
Our presence has doubtless accentu.
ated the general dislike Of the United
States which extends from one end Of