Evening star., 1929-11-29
A Plea for Armament Reduction.

a Plea for Armament Reduction.
Senator William E. Borah. chairman
Of the Senate foreign relations commit
tee, pleads brilliantly and convincingly
for actual reduction of armaments at
the coming London conference. in an
article published in the current Golfers,
under the title Of Bigger Guns or
Better Homes" In the opinion Of the
chairman of tf1s foreign relations COM
mittee, the great powers which will as
semble at the conference table next
January have the opportunity to DEM
onstrate to the world their sincerity by
bringing about not merely a limitation
Of naval armamei1ts, but real reduce
ton.
The Idaho Senator has been pioneer
IN the movement for limitation and re-
duction Of armaments. He was the
father of the plan for the washington
conference on naval limitation which
was held here in 1929. 1t was his
resolution, added as an amendment to
the naval appropriation bill in 1921,
that gave authority for the call Of the
conference, and under which President
Harding actually called the conference
into being. No one has bsei more de-
voted to the cause of armament reduc-
ton. Senator Borah expresses wonder,
however, that the great nations, espe-
ciallv the United States and Great
Eritain, while protesting fidelity to the
cause of peace and an earnest desire
for reduction Of armaments, should
continue to expend billions Of dollars
annually for armament. With all the
instrumentalities set up looking to
peaceful adjustment Of international
differences. In the. opinion OF Senator
Borah, the time has come definitely to
take a stand for the reduction OF the
huge expenditures made for armies and
for navies throughout the world.
Senator Boral1 Is never more con-
vincing than when he is speaking in
the cause Of peace. International
peace is the hope of the world. 1t IS
the hope of the civilization of today,
built up through centuries of suffering
and trial. The burdens which prepara-
tions for war, offensive or defensive,
place upon the peoples Of the world
are not only tremendously but also in
credibly heavy. THE marvel Of all
history" says Senator Borsn. lis the
patience with which men and womsn
submit to burdens unnecessarily laid
upon them by their governments" He
places among these burdens the pay
nnent Of t-xes to meet the military and
naval c .ablishments OF the world
today. which, he points out, are higher
than they were before the World
War. Public sentiment, he says, was
responsible for the negotiation and
ratification of the treaty renouncing
war, by which practically all the ma
tions are now bound. That same pub
lie sentiment, he insists, must approve
the reduction Of ornaments.
The great difHculty-s dificulty which
is admitted by Senator Borsh-is to
bring public sentiment to function in
such a way that it win force real
reduction of ornaments and thereby
lift the burden which falls upon the
taxpayers. making it possible for them
to have better homes" instead Of big
ger guns If at the London confer
ence, set for January 81, the powers
there gathered do not make sonne
strides toward an actual reduction Of
naval armament, the world may well
despair Of real. effective accomplish
ment looking toward permanent inter-
national peace. with peaceful means
substituted for wsr in the settlement
Of international disputes. Senator
Borsh may well ask why it is that
public sentiment which demands inter-
national peace and brings about a
treaty by the nations renouncing war
cannot function also in the interest Of
reduction of ornaments.
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