Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-02-21

MERICA'S policy, general and specific,
~ with regard to the problems which Will
~ be presented at the projected limitation
n of arms conference, necessarily will be
matter of very vital Importance to the
$4,000. 600 people of this country.
The United States Government is making no
announcement of its policy at this time with
regard to the various questions presented for
consideration in the invita- ton extended by the
League of Nations to attend the preliminary
conference in Geneva-or elsewhere if the Swiss
and the Russians fail to reach agreement
over their differences. Nevertheless. the Ameri-
delegation the preliminary conference
will go with full instructions to what shall
be their NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. which naturally
may be ampifed or modified later as coca e.aa..
has been progressing for time.
X x X
A perusal Of the questions suggested in the
preliminary conference-which is to frame
the aCenda and bring about the draft possibly
of a tentative convention for submission to
the various Observation-Disclosures that the confer
ence is designed to deal with questions far
other than mere limitation of ornaments as
commonly understood. For example. there is
presented the question of security. There is the
suggestion that the limitation Of ornaments
shall be construed to include limitation on
the industrial strength now regarded
sential in time of war. And closely allied with
this is the question to whether the proposed
HmtatiO shall deal with the peace
strength of nations.
Americas text at the conference is likely to
run somewhat follows:
Discussions should be limited to those meas
ures intended to place limitation upon the
military peace strength of the ma tons partci-
pating in the conference.
There should be discussion of security in
which the United States would pledge itself To
mix in the differences the affairs of other
nations. This is regarded absolutely essential.
There should he no attempt to limit the ulti-
mate war strength of a nation. In fact. there
IS strong feeling here that it would be idle
talk of such limitation. In time OF the
strength of a nation is the sum of all its
sources including man power. wealth and ma
teral. and its geographical situation. To talk of
these eal bere
There should be no discussion of limitation of
industry. Limitation of reserve material.
on hand during peace times however, is a diff
ferent affair and may be considered. But seek
to place limit the industrial development
may be needed in war would be no less than
effort to limit arbitrarily the development of
the country along business and commercial
lines.
In the of such discussion. it might he
said that the United States because of great in
dustries. its steel plants. its shoe manufactures.
etc, has a potential war strength which should
in some way be limited. or that because of such
facilities its actual military strength in peace
should he lower than otherwise Any such a r.
gument would he repugnant to America.
Americas interest in proper means Of
tional defense il may be said in passing is by
means academic some people in
cned to place it. The greater the property the
more insurance needed for its protection. Merely
because, the United States is welded to peace
and has no aggression in mind or because tx"
oceans separate this country from other great
powers. good reasons for ignoring the
needs of national defense.
The preliminary conference. which the
United States has accepted invitation. and
for which Congress has virtually appropriated
$50 900. gives promise of being vastly more
important than appeared origina ly At this CON
ference determination will be made of the sub
jeCts which to be discussed the confer
proper. IT is that the conference
proper might discard some of the subjects in
Guided in the aCenda drawn up by the prelimi-
nary conference. But the feeling is growing
that every effort will be made TO obtain the
sent of the governments to go through with the
agenda drafted in Geneva Brussels or Paris