Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-10

all points of view the problem of the
reduction and limitation of arma-
ments In these discussions it was
| brought out very clearly that NUM-
Der of nations felt that land, sea, and
air ornaments were interdependent
and that ii would be difficult, If not
| impossible, TO agree upon the limita.
ton of one type of armament without
simultaneously limiting the other
| types.
! The consequence to be feared is that
a deadlock will be reached. should
| even partial progress In the reduction
of ornaments be conditioned upon the
| acceptance of some universal plan
| covering land. sea, and air forces to-
sether. If the prospective deadlock
| can not be broken. it is probable that
| little progress will be made for the
! time being.
/ Duty of Government.
1t appears to me to be the duty of
! this Government. which has always
advocated limitation of ornaments, to
endeavor to suggest some avenue by
which concrete results may be
achieved even though such results
may be short of an ultimate ideal
solution for the threefold problem OF
land. sea, and air armament.
Our delegates at Geneva have con
! sistently expressed the view that un
| der conditions as they exist in the
4 world today the problems of land ana
| air ornaments are most susceptible OF
| solution by regional agreements COW
ering regions within which the land
or air ornaments of one country could
constitute potential threat to an
! other country. Geographical CONT
| nents have been suggested as regions
| appropriate for land and air limita-
| ton agreements.
The American land and air forces
/ constitute threat to no one. They
are at minimum strength; their re
duction has been suggested by no one
as u necessary condition precedent TO
general arms limitation. This reduc-
| ton Of our land forces has been rem
dered possible by our favored geo
graphical position. | realize that the
problems of ornaments on land and
| in the air in Europe are beset with
difficulties which in all justice we
must recognize. and, although. this
Government will always be ready to
) lend it's assistance in any appropriate
way to efforts OH the part of European
or other governments to arrive at re-
gional agreements limiting land and
afr forces, it would hesitate to make
Specllc proposals on TINS SUBJECT "
European nations.
The problem of the limitation of
naval armament, while not regional in
character or susceptible of regional
treatment. has been successfully
| treated, in part, by an agreement
! among the five leading naval powers.
and, in my opinion. can be definitely
dealt with by further agreements
among those powers.
Calls for Sincere Effort.
1t will be contribution to the sue.
cess OF the preliminary work now 60
| Ing on at Geneva should the great
naval powers there agree upon fur
| Their definite limitation of naval arma-
| ment. ~ a u.
1t is my intention that the American
representatives at Geneva should con-
tinue to discuss with the representa-.
| tives of the other nations there the
program for general limitation OF
/, araments conference.
| If such conference should be pos
| sible in the future, on a basis gem
orally acceptable, this Government
would, of course, be highly gratified.
Pending the formulation of the plan
| for such a general conference, how
ever, / believe that we should make
solve the problem of naval limitation.
| the solution of which would do much
| to make the efforts toward more gem
| eral limitation successful
CALVIN COOLIDGE,
Text of Memorandum. r.
| The text of the memorandum sent
| to the foreign governments follows
The American Government has fol-
lowed with close attention the proceed
| ings of the preparatory commission
! for the disarmament conference and,
after the most careful deliberation,
has concluded that it can, helpfuliy
make certain obServationsaAt this time
which, 1t hopes, may contribute mate
rally to the success of that commits
sion-a success earnestly desired by
the Government and people Of the
United States.
The conviction that the competitive
augmentation of national ornaments
has been one Of the principal causes of
international suspicion and i'll will,
leading to war, is firmly held by the
American Government and people.
Hence the American Government has
neglected no opportunity to lend its
sympathy and support to international
efforts to reduce and limit ornaments.
The success of the washington con-
ference of 1922 demonstrated that
other powers were animated with a
similar desire to do away with this
dangerous source of international dis
cord. The Washington conference
made beginning, however, and it has
| been the continued hope OF the Ameri-
can Government since 1922 that the
| task undertaken at Washington by
| the group of naval powers could be
| resumed end completed.
Progress Is Praised.
For this reason, the American Gov
eminent was happy to observe that
the efforts looking toward the holding
of q general international conference
| for the limitation of armament, which
| had been in progress for several years
under the auspices of the League of
| Nations, had reached, in December,
1926, stage sufficiently advanced, in
| the opinion of the Council of the
League of Nations, to warrant the
establishment Of the preparatory com.
mission, to meet in 1925, to prepare
the ground for an international con-.
ference at an early date. The Ameri-
can Government, pursuant to its
policy of cooperation with all efforts
calculated to bring about an actual
| limitation Of armament, accepted the
| invitation of the council to be repre-
| scented on the preparatory commits
sion The American representatives
on that commission lave endeavored
to play helpful part in it's discus
sions, and they will continue to be
| guided by that policy.
| The American Government believes
/ that the discussions of the commits
sion have been most valuable in max
| ing clear the views of the various
governments as to the problems pre-
| sented, and in demonstrating the COM
plexity and diversity of the obstacles