Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-13

different nations of the world to main
tain their pacific intentions under all
the temptations which are sure to con-
front them. Affirmative, practical steps
must be taken to carry out the good
resolution and to begin the evolution in
| international good will upon which the
success of that resolution depends.
Otherwise the failure of the good reso-
luton may produce condition worse
than If it had never been made.
Thus the situation as 1t stood year
ago may be summed up as follows: The
nations of the world had been taking
definite, practical steps toward q new
regime OF peace by the partial naval
disarmament of the Washington treaty.
They had also entered into formal
covenant to renounce war altogether
as national policy. But the practical
steps of disarmament were incomplete,
and new suspicious and irritationS were
growing up in consequence. And the
peace pact was thus far a mere paper
promise. Its fate was trembling in the
balance. Whether this paper was to
become a live system. and thus to mark
the opening of really new era III the
worlds progress, or whether like many
other good resolutions, it should fade
away into nothingneSs, depended on the
practical steps which should be taken
to make 1t good.
From this background the Govern
ment of the United States, under PreSi-
dent Hoover, and that of Great Britain,
under Prime Minister Macdonald,
started last year the movement to
change the old dangerous conditions, to
complete the work begun by the Wash
ington Conference, to close the last
possibility of naval competition between
their own peoples and the other peo-
piles of the world, and thus to take
long step forward toward making ef-
fective the noble intentions of the KEEL
logg-Briand pact. Negotiations be-
tween the two governments were begun
in the Summer of 1929. They were
carried on at the personal conference
of Mr.. Hoover and Mr.. Macdonald at
the Rapidan in october. Their pur-
poses were set forth in the following
joint statement. issued by them on Oc-
tober 8; after this personal meeting:
Joint Statement.
I'VE have been guided by the double
hope OF settling our own differences on
naval matters. and SO establishing I'M
clouded good will, candor and conf
dence between us and also of contrib
uting something to the solution of the
problem of peace, i'll which all other
nations are interested and which calls
for their cooperation.
In signing the Paris peace pact Sc
nations have declared that war shall
not be used as an instrument of ma
tional policy. We have agreed that all
disputes shall be settled by pacific
means.
Both our governments resolve to
accept the peace pact. not as a declara-
ton of good intentions. but as a posi-
tive obligation to direct national policy
in accordance with its pledge"
n,,f 80 i,Nrr.
for the London Conference, and out of
the London Conference came the Lon
don naval treaty. Thus that treaty is
not merely an attempt to establish a
relationship fer the time being between
the three fleets of America, Britain and
Japan: it is the elimination of a To-
year movement toward peace between
the various naval powers OF the world,
and also step in the vitaliZation Of the
Kellogg BRAND pact. OF course, 1t is
not equal to the vision Of the two men
who issued the Rapidan statement. In
human affairs no realization ever
matches the vision, and limitation Of
arms is not a single step but con-
tinuOuS process. But the treaty Is q
long step forward IN that evolutionary
process. 1t preScrlbeS complete nml-
tatiOn and a cessation OF compe give
building between the navies of Amesica,
naval powers of the world. Between
them, If this treaty Is ratified there
is to be no further naval competition
or the rivalry. suspicion and ill-will
which Is sure to arise out OF it. With
these three pow two other powers
France and Italy-haye joined in GER
tain important agreements in the treaty.
They have joined in a siX-year extern
sion Of the battleShip holiday. They
have also joined in a covenant to out
law ruthless submarine Warfare-the
kind of warfare which dragged America
into the great war. And, finally, they
have given to the limitation treaty of
the other three powers their approval
and hearty concurrence, with the prom
Use to continue their own negotiations,
in the hope of ultimately joining the
other three in similarly complete limi-
tation.
This limitation treaty is now pending
for final ratification in each o. the
three countries to which its full reStric-