Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-25

Fifty years ago American statesmen
were in a great ouandary over the many
complicated plans for resun1tng specie
payments in place Of the "greenback"
money of the Civil War. Long and tire
some speeches were made in and out
of Congress by great economists. Every
plan had many provisos and assump-
tions. Finally Horace Greeley solved all
the problems as to resumption, for he
declared emphatically. "The way to re-
sumo is to resume" Few wiseacres had
really thought so clearly as that.
Today the whole world appears to be
In similar ouandary over disarmament.
The League Of Nations appointed many
commissions, advisory bodies, pernla-
nent committees and expert consultants
Now Ambassador Hugh S. Gibson has
made a speech before the preparatory
disarmament commission, with almost
as much directness and simplicity as
Horace Greeley manifested over specie
payments, and the whole world appears
agog over the American policy outlined
by Mr.. Gibson, for it is recognized as
officially inspired by the Hoover adj
n1inistration. The way to disarm is to
disarm-but that is what Secretary Of
State Hughes said eight years ago.
That can't be done by one nation
alone, without national suicide. The
way to disarm is to cut down armies
and navies-and we will do so as soon
as other nations do likewise.
France Is elated over this American
idea; 1t comedies with the Kellogg
BRAND multiiateral treaty outlawing
war. War Is no longer legitimate.
among the nations which have signed
the Kellogg BRAND pact, yet. until
Japan adds her acceptance Of the pact.
the signatures of all others count for
nothing
Great Britain agrees with Mr.. Gibson,
and proposes to limit cruisers to an
agreed total tonnage, provided 1t IS
understood that Great Britain shall
build all the cruisers she wants, armed
with 6-ir1ch guns. That proviso does
not meet approval in America because
we want our cruisers armed with S-inch
guns and to be large enough, and power
full enough, for long cruises. Great
Britain has filling stations" scattered
all over the world. so she can get along
with shorter radii for her cruisers.
We are both ready to disarm-but.
France and Germany, too, are delight
ed with Mr.. Gibson's outline of the
American policy. In fact, Paris is
jubilant over its alleged discovery that
there is real. though indirect connec-
ton between agreement on ornaments
and the question of q general debt
settlement" {C'est rireD
France Is the only debtor nation
which for 10 years has failed to make
any agreement on settlement of her
debt to the United States-not what
we loaned her to carry on the war, for
we Cancelled all of that years ago, but
what we advanced her to buy goods
after the war-billions Of dollars. Now,
If it be no longer necessary to build
cruisers and battleships without limit,
maybe France will pay her debt to the
that have to do with Ambassador Glib
sons speech on international limitation
Of ornaments on sea and land? Still,
it makes France happy. and that
pleases us.
Germany is Just as approving as Is
her old enemy, France.
A leading German paper, Der Nueste
Naclarichten, sums it up as follows:
stripped Of all details, Gibson's pro-
posals plainly state that America, the
worlds greatest power. demands dis
armament on land and sea-" Then is
added:
"That America also desires disarnaa-
ment on land will be understood by
everybody who comprehends the essen
tial features of American commercial
| imperialism, this newspaper asserts,
adding that the American determine
ton to conquer the worlds markets,
which is capably personified in Presi-
dent Hoover. does not want European
wars or European complications.
"Mr. Gibson's speech reveals the
American resolve to exert political In
fiuence alongside Of economic per-
suasion, and that portion OF his speech
which brands as hypocrisy the so-called
| Anglo French security theory as evolved
| from, the Kellogg anti-war pact, but
which is calculated to put obstacles IN
! the path of genuine disarmament, indi-
Gates that Americas economic and
political advance on Europe has now
been set In full motion" adds the
Leipzig paper.
J So, Germany, which Is bound, hand
and foot, as 70 her own military oz:
- - Il