Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-03-18

: Il
such conference prepared 10 get ou1
! of II all they individually can is the
prediction made here today. Attempts
! will he made. It is feared in some quar-
ters. bv some OF the nations to use
! the United States in such confer
/ ence TO win their way and to gain ad-
yantages over their neighbors. rail-
ing this. the United States, II unwili-
! ing TO Join In with their plans may
| he blamed by these nations for the
failure of limitation of arms con
! ference.
/ Jpon the League Council rests the
| duty Of deciding the date for the pre-
/ liminary arms conference. II has been
planned to hold the conference not
! later than May 10. But the opinion
was expressed here in we'll Informed
quarters that there would probably
! he a postponement until after Septem
her. when another effort will be made
tn get Germany safely into the league
! and 10 settle the veXed questions OF
additional places in the permanent
council of the league.
! This country has accepted. the
| leagues invitation. and it Is supposed
that such acceptance will be kept awe
by poStponement of the date or the
conference. But should the council
fail to make any provision for the pre-
limfnary conference, then a different
situation might arise.
| POstpOnement Likely.
The feeling here in high official
| quarters is that the league council
will feel impelled to go ahead with the
| conference on arms limitation, al
though it may feel itself justified in
postponing the preliminary conference
| until after the September meeting OF
the league asembely, particularly in
view of the fact that the conference
| has already been once postponed IN
} order to permit Germany to become
member Of the league before the con-
| ference is held. and also to have the
Locarno pacts in effect.
There is no illusion on the part of
| the United States Government that
the nations of Europe feel toward the
disa rmament question as the people of
this country feel. Their problem Is
vastly different from that which con-
fronts the people of America. They
| have centuries of wars behind them
and the prospect of future wars. They
have come to rely upon force for pro-
| lection, and to angle always for the
better position in any arrangement of
balance of power.
| The governments of Europe as now
! constituted are not anxious to dis
! arm, although many of the people
| are anxious to do 50. But there Is
a factor in the situation which is
| having effect. Under the terms OF
| the Versailles treaty of peace it was
| agreed that after Germany had been
| dsarmed and after she had been
admitted to the League of Nations
| the other nations would then pro
coed to limit their ornaments also.
| Now Germany is to be admitted to
! the league, provided the differences
that developed in Geneva in recent
days can be ironed out by Septem
| Der. When Germany is admitted to
| the league. then she may say. PRO
| coed with the disarmament according
| to the treaty. Germany has been
disarmed effectually, but that is not
| the way the other nations desire to
| be disarmed. So the proposed arms
| conference, designed to write a
| formula of disarmament which will
J be in a measure satisfactory to the
other nations, has been advanced in
| order to provide an excuse for not
| carrying out to the letter the pro.
| visions of the Versailles treaty. That.
! Furthermore, is another impelling rea.
| son for not abandoning the plans for
| the preliminary conference.
Two Theories Advanced.
Two theories have been advanced
| regarding disarmament, one by the
British and the United States, which
| Is to reduce proportionately the exist
ing peace strength of military forces
| and the material required for war
purposes kept on hand. The other.
put forward by the French. would
take into consideration the potential
mar StrAnSth Of y nation apcluddua