Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-03
CITIZENS GROUP
WILL STUDY ARMS
Pacific Conference to Dis
cuSs Disarmament and
National Security.
BY BEN G. KLINE.

SAN FRANCISCO. July 2.-Whilt
Great Britain and Japan are discuss
ing further elimination of armament.
at Geneva, representative citizens Of
all Pacific countries assembled in 6
formal but in nowise official gathering
at Honolulu. will hold full and frank
discussion of armament in its rela
ton to national security
That this subject will occupy a
prominent place on the calendar OF
the Institute of Pacific Relations
which will convene at the Pacific
crossroads" July 10. has been revealed
to the writer by E. c. Carter of Co
lumhia University. secretary of the in
stitute, who was in San Francisco TO
day on his way to Honolulu.
Suggested by Australia.
In making the announcement. Mr.
Carter said that the suggestion that
disarmament be discussed at the con-
ference was made hy the Australian
committee. The merican committee
gave its unqualified approval, and Fri
day a cable was received saying the
Japanese group was not only willing
that defense and security be discussed,
but that it would like to have such a
discussion on the program.
The Institute of Pacific Relations
IS citizens organization. Members
of its various national groups and
delegates to it's every-other-year con-
ferences at Hawaii are not represent.
atives of the governments. but are rep.
resentative of all classes of the citi-
zenship of Pacific countries. All
groups lay their cards on the table,
frankly presenting their problems and
airing their grievances. Underneath
all is feeling that frank discussion
and study will lead to better mutual
understandings and eventually to bet
ter relations on the Pacific.
1T is significant" said Mr.. Carter,
"that the request for discussion of
disarmament came from Australia.
The only way Australia could per-
suade its people to approve participa-
ton in Britain's naval building pro-
gram was by stressing fear of Japan.
The Australians now realize. however,
that Japan never had the slightest
warlike intentions toward their coun-
try and they want to cooperate with
the Japanese in peace-time endeavors.
Problem for Pmblic.
1T is also significant that this ques-
ton of disarmament is coming up at
citizens gathering because every
civilized government now realizes that
disarmament is partly technical
problem one for army and navy eX-
perts-and partly a matter of public
opinion. This latter phase will occupy
the attention OF the Honolulu confer
snce. Without transgressing in any
way upon the Geneva conference, it
can conduct a frank discussion and
study of mental disarmament, or the
relation of the public's feeling of Sc
curity to disarmament.
Prof. James T. Shotwell of Column
bia. who is probably the best informed
man in the world on this subject. will
be there to lead the discussion. Prof.
Shotwell's researches enabled Euro
pean powers to find a formula at the
Locarno conference by which nations
could find means other than war to
settle international problems.
Mr.. Carter. Prof. Shotwell and DR..
Ray Lyman Wilbur president of STAN
ford University and chairman of the
institute, are leaving San Francisco
today for Honolulu to prepare the
groundwork for the institutes gath
ering.
Copyright. 1927