Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-21

PRIME MINISTER MACDONALD.
the permanent Court of international
Justice, the growing confidence in thu
court, and the increasing number d
nations who have signed the optiona
clause mark definite and I believe ir.
| revocable steps in the displacement oi
| military power by judicial process In
the settlement of international disputes
public servants, like us, will fail IL
our duty If we do not diminish military
power in proportion to the increase oi
this political security. On the Other
hand. no one can say that an absolute
security for peace and justice yet has
been found.
Must Remove Menace.
There are risks on whichever side
one leans, but take 1t that the prac-
teal view is that political securities
must determine the amount Of military
preparations: that excessive military
preparation Is not only waste of ma
tional resources but weakening Of po-
liticaI security; that military prepare.
tions that any one Nation feels to bt
necessary at any given moment mus
be determined to q considerable degree
by the military preparations Of othel
nations, so that no nation is free, ex-
lcept by international agreement to pur-
sue the policy of disarmament beyond
certain rigidly defined limits. Steps
toward disarmament must be interna-
tional agreements; the agreements
Whatever language is used or figures
inserted) must remove the sense Of
menace from signatory nations.
This conference has therefore tc
value the securities now afforded to ma
tons by the political guarantees have
referred to and agree mutually upon
how far they can, on the assumption OF
continuing peace, reduce arms.
IT dare to affirm that in the naval
programs of the leading naval. nations
there Is a margin between real security
! needs and actual or projected strengths
to eliminate that margin.
1T win both smooth and shorten our
work perhaps If We would assume two
things in our discussions. The first is
that we have different needs imposed
upon US by geographical position, world
responsibility and points OF attack In
event Of war.
Inability 10 Understand.
conferences have broken down be-
cause there has been an unwillingneSs
or an inability to understand that this
is so; that, therefore, one ton used In
| ships for one purpose is totally differ
emit thing from one ton used in ships
for another purposes
IT know that plea of need can be
stretched almost To- iuf1nity and that in
1t turks danger, but II peace is in our
hearts and reduction of ornaments In
our minds the substance of what con-
stitutesi our needs can be fairly adj
mitted by each of US az regard the other
and be satisfied in the form and provi-
sions OF an agreement, and the confer
efce viii be a conspicuous success"
An Arms Related.
"The second thing which we might
assume Is this: Although ornaments
cannot be divided into water-tight COM
partments-naval, land and air forces
for practical purposes we must discuss
them separately always, remembering
when coming to our conclusions regard
ing each that 1t has a relationship to
the other.
III we are willing to make a good
naval agreement now, when it comes 10
be reviewed few years hence our atti-
tude will depend on what other powers
amentS IN the meantime. All nations
have not the same interest in each arm
OF the military, but they have an in
terest In the general armed state of the
world. The way Of Great Britain is on
the sea, for 1t Is q small island.
"The stock Of its people came from
the sea; its defense andtts high roads
have~been the sea. It's flag is flag Of
the sea. Our enavy nowhere is super
huity to us. 1t Is US. If this country
can make contribution to peace which
viii be one OF deeds as well as one Of
words 1t must be as naval power.
That Is why last June, after several
attempts unsuccessfully to get such an
understanding between the United
States and ourselves as would make a
wide international agreement possible,
President Hoover, through his newly ap-
pointed Ambassador to London, pro-.
posed to me that We should explore our
differences once more.
Proposed Second Meeting.
''F7e said that if we could overcome
what has hitherto defied us we might,
as the naval powers which had taken
part in the Naval Conference at Wash
ington in 1922, meet again to try to
agree on an equilibrium In strength
and competitive building, reduce ex-
penolCure on SHIPS ana bring meets
down in size. And as a result present
to the Preparatory Disarmament Com
mission, sitting at Geneva, an agree
ment which can be related to its wider
work and form part of the material
which will ultimately go before a gen.
eral disarmament conference.
THAT was the sole purpose Of our
conversations and journeys, and that is
why We are here. This place and that
We are to meet subsequently est. James
Palace) have seen o great many great
gatherings come and part. Many deeds
done which history guards with jealous
pride and watchful memory.
"It may well be that this conference
which has been so conspicuously
opened this morning by his majesty
will be destined to rank with the most
| memorable and most beneficial of them
| all. II we can limit and reduce by
agreement one of our most powerful
arms without diminishing national se-
curity, but, indeed, strengthen by our
very act, the Naval Conference of 1880
undoubtedly will take place among the
great landmarks which tell the stages
and events by which mankind has ad-
vanced Its wisdom and enlightenment. F."
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