Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-29

Spectator could make any one request
and that it would be granted. The
speculator, after elaboration as TO what
one gift would serve him most, con-
cluded to ask for an advance copy of
the London Times of the ensuing
New Year day one year later. Oni-
nously, the agent of destiny asked the
Spectator if he was sure this was the
one gift he desired more than any other
conceivable one The specualtor was
sure 1t was. In due course the advance
copy was delivered. Hastily the Specu-
lator turned to the Stock Exchange quo
tations. Carefully ne made notes of
what would be the price of certain
stocks a year later. Thus equipped
with the facts with which he could
make his fortune. the Spectator, in a
mood of agreeable relaxation, thought
it would be entertaining TO read the re-
mainder of the paper. When he came
to the obituary notices he found lead
ing all of the rest, an obituary about
himself, satisfactory in it's laudatory de-
tails. but starkly distressing in the grim
evidence that nothing he could do with
his foreknowledge of stock quotations
could benefit him in this world.
If we turn to events in the world
of politics and public affairs and If we
confine ourselves to matters already
arranged for. we can say there are two
that have outstanding importance. One
is the London Conference for the Limi-
tation and Reduction of Naval Arma-
ment, to which our delegates will be
aboard ship within little more than a
week.
Farley Outlook Bright.
We know the conference will take
place. Its outcome we cannot know.
1t would be pleasant to predict it will
be successful-and it is fact that the
overwhelming weight of the factors are
on the side of its being successful. It
Is almost inconceivable that the efforts
Of such men as President Hoover and
Prime Minister Macdonald should come
to NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Hoover with his
Quaker conviction and patience, his
engineer care about ground work and
his reSourcefulneSs and persistence;
idealism. faith and power to move
multitudes
Yet in spite of the best these two
and their associates can do and have
done-in spite of that-the success of
this conference rests on the public
opinion of the world and on the agen-
cies that inform it from day to day.
BY happy fortune this conference can
begin and go forward in the atmosphere
of good will; by evil fortune, differ
ences over details or other misadven-
ture, accidental or malevolently de-
signed, can be magnified and can cause
this conference to go the way of the
Geneva Conference, to inconclusion and
failure.
We cannot know the outcome. We
can, with reasonable certainty, estimate
the consequence of failure. If this
conference should come to nothing the
world will put one outstanding inter-
probation on the failure. It will be re-
corded that five great nations are I'M
able to agree with each other not to
engage In a competitive race in naval
armament. Upon such conclusion the
ensuing consequence will be that the
race will be on. The race will be on
and will go forward at q pace more
accelerated than If the conference had
never taken place.
The other outstanding event in in
ternational relations will be Americas
adhering or not adhering to the World
Court
That this question will come to de-
cision in 1880 is not certain-but is
probable. Such international under
standings are of slow growth 1t was
in February. 1922, that President Hard
ing and Secretary of State Hughes
transmitted the original World Court
proposal, with their favorable recon-
mendations, to the Senate. It was not
until January 27, 1927, nearly five years
later, that the Senate acted, accepting
the original proposal with five reserva-
tons. Now, four of the five Senate
reservations have been accepted by the
other nations, and as to one reserva-
ton the other nations have proposed
modification.
Senators Get Anxious.
1t Is or this modification that the
coming controversy will turn. AS to
the time when the Senate will act. pre-
dlction is futile. There is no impera-
tive reason why President Hoover
should urge early action, nor why the
Senate should act promptly upon his
urging. 1t has been observed, however,
that some Senators have already be-
come, surprisingly, eager that action
should be taken fairly soon. What this
means is that public sentiment through
out the country, favorable to the court.
has begun to express itself in urgings
upon individual Senators, and Senators
Wishful to show response would like
early action.
Within the field of domestic politics
one coming event is fixed infallibly. In
November next We shall elect a whole
third of the Senate, 80. That fixed
event of November will cast an elon-
gated shadow over every other political
event and every other political activity
of the year. It's shadow has already
been on the tariff debate that has taken
place.
The shadow will be acutely on the
tariff deliberations as they resume next
week. There will be men, many of them,
ri Va nj in hot vf{a
who will act on the tariff upon convic-
ton. There will be others who will
act upon self-intereSt. But hardly any
individual and almost certainly no lead
er can be free from keeping a wary eye
| on how any one step in the tariff will
affect the November elections.
| Four hundred and thirty-five Repre-
sentatives as individuals and 80 Sena-
| tors as individuals will be obliged to
consider how any one tariff action will
affect them locally in their individual
| districts. THE exceptions, negligible in
number, are such as do not expect to
| try for re-election.) Aside from their
individual fortunes all of them as party
men are bound to consider the nation
wide effect on their respective parties
Leaders of both parties and all fac
tons will consider whether given
| action will add to or subtract from the
| prestige and numbers of their respec-
/ tive parties. Republicans will consider
continuously how best they can hold
their present number in the House. 267
Democrats will consider how best they
can increase their present number, 1853
Democratic Leader John Garner OF
Texas will never see Republican Speaker
Nicholas Longworth of Cincinnati pass
ing in his official automobile without re-
flecting how deep an impression he
Garner would make in that Govern
ment upholstery.
What is true of the tariff will be true
in greater or less degree of every other
political policy. action or episode that
arises within Congress or outside it. The
November election will overhanR every