Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-04
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

has not yet begun to be realized by the
average man or woman in America, or
elsewhere in the world, what gigantic
implications are carried by the general
treaty for remuneration Of war. Every
day more and more distinguished au-
thorities, American and foreign, are
pointing them out. The periodical press,
which specialiZes in international at
fairs, Is full of articles from men like
Philip Kerr of England and John w.
Davis of the United States which are
designed to clear up public opinion
about the Kellogg pact. The burden OF
their various songs is identical. It Is
to the effect that the anti-war treaty
Is not worth the parchment 1t Is written
on unless its signatories, jointly and sew
orally, are ready at moments notice
to punish any nation which violates the
pact. The Anglo-American theory is
that the mere knowledge that British
and American sea power will be flung
remorselessly against such aggression
against the new law of the world will
suffice to prevent war;" If it does not,
then-as the British Dominion premier
puts it-that united" sea power will
be employed ''ou the same side" for any
other steps thaH may become necessary.
* n II
There is q growing volume Of respon-
sible opinion that the question of
Americas ancient adherence to freedom
Of the seas" will crop up in the course Of
the Anglo-American plan to marrow the
Atlantic" The United States fastened
to renounce it In 1917 as soon as we
entered the war against Germany.
Having for two and half years previ-
Gus insisted as neutral upon non
molestation Of our sea-borne commerce,
yNf1xy mt fhA TTV2ffnd Cfofo
to work to stop any neutral from
trading with Germany or with countries
suspected Of supplying Germany with
the sinews Of war. That Is precisely
what analytical interpreters of the
Kellogg pact point out must obviously be
done In the event of its violation-viz.,
the closing of the seas against the ag-
gressor nation. AS the British and
American fleets were used to that end
intends they shall be similarly employed
in a future emergency.
X X II Il
Many Shrewd observers-men who
have been on the INSIDE Of the
Hoover-MacDonald pourparlers (Which
is the language Of diplomacy for ad-
WINGED that one significant British
gesture" is just over the horizon. They
say that Mr.. Macdonald, sooner or
later, will propose the "demilitariZa-
ton" of all British territory in the
western Hemisphere that is not already
denuded Of forts and guns. This means
British possessions in the Caribbean
and the South Atlantic-the Bermuda
Islands, the West Indies and British
Guiana. British reasoning on this point
Is that there is no more logic in arm
ing these territories against the only
conceivable foe-the United States
than there is in arming the Canadian
American frontier. That 3,000-mile
border for nearly century and a
quarter has been stripped Of cannon
and bombproof walls. BY the Rush
Bagot treaty Of 1917 the Great Lakes
were designated as waters on which no
British or American ships OF war should
ever ride-though rum runners and
engaged In hoStilitieS there. If this
Republic and the Dominion have found
it possible to live in peace, sans artil-
lery, why shouldn't the rest of the en-
pire similarly diveSt itself in all regions
where British guns point toward
America?
Since Washington and CORVALLIS
had their famous business transaction
at Yorktown there has been no meeting
Of American and British minds family
comparable in magnitude, in possibili.
ties and in promise to the meeting OF
Herbert Hoover and Ramsay MacDon-
aid In Washington. It may be that
Virginia soil-the Rapidan woods
again is destined to be the scene OF
history making Anglo-American events
events as momentous as those OF
1881. Even the month-Octobe
reminiscent and prophetic.
(Copyright, 1921