The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-10-23
Discredit and Oblivion May
Result From Peace
Work of Premier.
FOES LAUNCH CAMPAIGN
Nelson Day Celebration is
Opening of Effort to
Stir Sentiment.
BY WILLIAM PHILLIP STMMS
Scripps- Howard Foreign Editor

fate which overlook President Wood
row Wilson and his plan to bring
about a new era of world peace and
understanding yet may enguIi
Premier Ramsay Macdonald Of
Great Britain.
Already the die hards and big
navy advocates in his own country
are beginning to unlimber their guns
preparatory to what almost newt
ably will develop into a fierce battla
against naval parity between Britain
and America and naval limitation in
general.
England, celebrated on Monday
the anniversary of Admiral Nelson's
great victory over the French at
Trafalgar. 1t was made the occasion
of a blast against "the pacifism that
is Fashionable today" and a reminder
to the people of Britain that "an
empire dependent on the sea- and
unprepared to defend its vital
arteries can count, sooner or later,
on being dishonored and dismem-
bered."
League Leads Drive
Lord Sydenham, the author of
the manifesto, was member of the
British air board at one time and
secretary of the committee of i'm
perial defense. Speaking for the
Navy League, he said the aim now
is to keep alive the spirit of Nelson
in these days when the strength of
the national navy has become a sub
ject for political bargaining"
The incident is not regarded as
without significance. The Navy
League, the British admiralty and
the Conservative party of Stanley
Baldwin worked together at the
Geneva naval conference of 1927,
at which the British demands were
so high that to have given in to
them would have meant huge
increase in naval tonnages and not
reduction, nor even limitation.
These forces still are very much
alive in England today. For the
time being only the extremists
among them the ultra die hards, are
vocal, owing to the unprecedented
welcome Premier MacDonalds peace
mission received in this country,
but they will be heard from, it is
believed confidently, in due season.
wilson's Act Recalled
President Wilson, it will be re-
called, went to Europe to assist at
the making of the peace treaty of
Versailles. His object was pacific.
not to share in the spoils of war.
His aim was to establish a League
of Nations, in which the entire
civilized world would join in main
tanning international peace and
junking its armies and navies be-
yond a mere police force.
While he was away his political
enemies in the United States began
to murmur that he did not repre-
sent the will of the American peo-
pie. They said he was getting
America tangled up in European
politics. Ano, when he returned, the
senate refused to ratify his actions,
turned down the treaty he had mi
tiated and kept out of the League
of Nations, which he had fathered.
Premier Ramsay Macdonald may
be treading a similar pathway. AL
ready there is a murmuring against
his speeches In this country on the
part of politicians who claim he is
not representing the British peo-
pie. Just as foreign entangle-
ments" is the American bugaboo,
giving up dominion over the seas is
Britain's, and, sooner or later, the
British statesman will be called to
answer for what he has said and
done.
Lacks Voting Strength
just how severe the fight will be,
only the future can tell. He belongs
to the Labor party. That party has
only 288 seats in the house of COM
mons as against 260 for the Con-
servatives and SO for the Liberals.
Not only does he lack an absolute
majority, but there only are twen-
ty-eight seats between him and his
Tory opposition. A switch of few
Liberals, now the balance Of power,
would be enough to bring about his
downfall at any time.
AS Premier Macdonald himself
intimated when he was here, the
sea is ticklish subject for every
Briton. For centuries he has been
taught that his daily bread, his
freedom and his very life depended
upon Britannia ruling the waves.
Anything short Of the biggest navy
on earth has been unthinkable to
| Britain
Will the Macdonald bid for naval
parity with America and his hope
Of world peace and disarmament
succeed now? Or will he be broken
+, on the wheel as Wilson was broken?