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

pacts were entered into or sought at the Wash
ington conference: The four.power Pacific pact
embracing the United States, Great Britain,
France and Japan, contains word of al
lance; it Is merely an agreement to consult to-
gether in the event of difference arising be-
tween any of the nations over matters in the
Pacific.
While there problems of the At
lantic" or problems of Europe" specially
mentioned in the call for the arms conference
by the League of Nations it seems clear from
the questions transmitted in the invitations
that the problems of Europe be
sidered. These European problems may prove
an insurmountable obstacle to any great
duction of ornaments.
The United States Is going into the pre-
liminary arms conference in the hope that
good may come of il and the conference
proper which is to follow While this coln-
try made no bid suggestion whatever that
1t should be invited to the conference by the
League of Nations. ii has been felt here that
once the invitation extended. in view of
the traditional attitude of the United States
toward limitation of ornaments, it could not
refuse to take part.
X X X
Various formulas will he presented for limi-
tttIon of ornaments at the preliminary
ference. The American attitude or formula 1t
is believed vii be somewhat as follows:
The limitation should apply to peace-time
ornaments and should apply to the metro
politan areas of the countries involved.
The peace-tme strength of the regular
active armies should be in direct ratio to
the population and area of the country.
The peace-time strength of the army should
be the basis for the limitation of war reserves
and material.
The term and character of service should
be standardized. This last would mean the
abolition of conscription doubtless if it be
adopted. Certainly the United States will
urge that that system of military service be
eliminated.
1t is not likely that the United States would
agree to limitation according to budgetary
financial expenditures for the support of its
Army or Navy. 1t is VIGOROUSLY a fact that
thus country spends more per unit on it's mill
tary and naval forces than do other coun-
r. tS In orIo .-itt,
the higher standards of living in this coun-
try. It is due also to the fact that in many
of the nations CONSUMPTION exists. with its
low compensation to the drafted
X X
Some of the matters which are regarded in
this country as serving no useful purpose
for discussion at the conference include limi-
tation of colonial ornaments. a country
possessing colonies necessarily will be guided
by the problems il confronts in those colonies
in fixing the number of its armed forces in
the colonies. Nor is the joint consideration
of army and navy ornaments believed a sue
cessful method of attacking the problem. If
security paCts alliances are to be consid-
cred they must be acceptable to all the coun-
tries of a continent, IT is believed here If
1hey are 70 be or real value. So far as lmi-
tation of aircraft, military commercial or
the limitation of commercial fleets. it is not
believed here that any discussion will prove
fruitful.
When it comes to measuring the ornaments
OF the countries and comparing them to each
other, strict standards will have to be adopted.
The active and reserve forces must be con-
sidered. reserve supplies of material and
the systems OF service and training. In the case
of naval ornaments the gross tonnage Is the
mea sure most to be relied upon.
Whether ornaments to be considered
and measured as purely defensive or as often
SlVe. on both, is another matter which has
been suggested in the invitation to the con-
ference. The foreign policies of a nation
largely govern in determining the size of its
ornaments. But 1t should be possible from
a military point of view, 1t is said. to deter
mine with some degree of accuracy whether
the ornaments of a nation at any time
offensive or defensive. AS a reasona BILE basis
for the purpose of the conference it NAV be
advisable to consider that all the participat-
ing nations be accorded purely defensive mo-
tlNes In regard to their present armaments