Douglas daily dispatch., 1926-12-08


the disarmament conference met at
Geneva on May 1S and its work has
been proceeding almost continuously
since that date. 1t would be pre-
mature to attempt to form a judg-
ment as to the progress that has
been made. The commission has
had before it a comprehensive list
of questions touching upon all as
poets of the question of the limi-
tation of armament. In the COM
missions discussions many differ
ences of opinion have developed.
However, am hopeful that at least
some measure of agreement VIII be
, reached as the discussions continue.
The American representation on the
commission has consistently tried to
be helpful and has kept before n
the practical objective to which the
commission is working, namely. ac-
tual agreements for the Limitation
of armaments Our representatives
VIII continue their work in that
direction.
one of the most encouraging fea-
lures of the commissions work tnus
far has been the agreement in prin-
ciple among the naval experts OF
majority of the powers parties tc
the washington treaty limiting
naval armament upon methods ana
standards for the comparison ana
further Limitation of naval arma-
ment. It Is needless to say that
at the proper time shall be pre-
pared to proceed along practical
lines to the conclusion of agreements
CARRYING further the work begun at
the washington conference IN f9zI
department Reports
manv important subjects which It
is Impossible even to mentlon ID the
short space of an annual message
Won will find fully discussed IN ne
departmental reports. A failure 70
include them here is not to be taken
nc indicating any lack OF interest
bpt only d!sinclination to state
inadeouately what has been much
better done in other documents.
P The Capital City
1yo are embarlling on an ambi-
,ions building program for the city
re washington. The Memorial
bridge is under way with all that
it's holds for use and beauty. New
buildings are soon contemplated.
This program should represent the
best that exists in the art and
science of architecture into these
structures which must be considered
as of a permanent nature ought 10
go the aspirations of the nation, its
ideals expressed in forms of beauty
if our country wishes to compete
with others, let it not be IN tho
support OF armaments but in the
making of a beautiful capital city.
Let it express the soul of America.
y Whenever an American is at the
seat of his government, however
travelled and cultured he may be, he
ought to find a city of stately pro-
portion, symmetrically laid out and
adorned with the best that there
is in architecture, which would
arouse his Imagination and stir his
patriotic pride. In the coming years
washington should be not only the.
art center of our own country but
the art center OF the world. Around
it should center all that is best in
science, in learning, in letters, and
in art. These are the results that
justify the creation of those national
resources with which we have been
favored.
American Ideals
America is not and must not be
country without ideals. They. are
useless if they are only visionary;
they are only valuable If they are
practical A nation can not dwell
constantly on the mountain tops.
1t has to be rep1enished and sus-
tained through the ceaseless toll OF
the less inspiring valleys. But its
face ought always to be turned up
ward, its vision ought always to be
| fixed on high,
We need ideals that can be fol-
lowed in daily life, that can be.
translated into terms OF the hons.
1--WE can not expect to be relieved
| from toll, but we do expect to di'-
vest it of degrading conditions. Work
| is honorable; it is entitled to an
honorable recompense. We must
strive nightly, but having striven
there is a defect in our political and
social system il we are not in gem
, Rral rewarded with success. To
relieve the land of the burdens that
came from the war, to release to,
| the 1nQ1VIQuaI more OIL the AIuAtSN ~
! his own industry, to increase his
earning capacity and decrease his
hours of labor, to enlarge the circle
| of his vision through good roads
and better transportation, to- place
before him the opportunity for edu-
Lcation both in science and in art. to
leave him free to receive the inspiras}
tion of religion, all these are ideals
which deliver him from the servi-
Itude of the body and exalt him to
the service of the soul. Through
this emancipation from the things
that are material, we broaden our
dominion over the things that are
spiritual. .n
1 The White House,
L Decemher z 1926.