Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-20
Peace in the Balance.

In London tomorrow five great
maritime nations Of the world begin a
momentous conference. 1t is no exaggera-
| affect vitality the peace of the world
| for many years to come. Their repre-
sentatives have it in their hands to
turn the world toward limitation of
ornaments and toward peace. A failure
to reach an agreement would be dis
aster. 1t could be followed only by
suspicion and hate and fear.
The peoples of the world are for
peace. The peoples of the five nations
represented at London have after CEN
turtles of civilization building adopted
the only fundamentally they possess
to deal for them, the instrumentality
of government. Unfortunately the
political prestige of the men in power
sometimes hangs in the balance and un-
fortunately men in power sometimes
place their own interests ahead of those
of their peoples. Nothing has developed
at London to indicate that such will be
e.
is a danger, however, that the peoples
of these nations must guard against If
they can. Full publicity of the course
of events and the development Of public
opinion can assist.
The United States, Great Britain,
France, Italy and Japan have sent
representatives to the London Con-
ference. which is to seek an agreement
for limitation and reduction of aux
lila Y" naval craft, such as was entered
into with regard to capital" ships
and ssscraft carriers at the Washington
Naval Conference eight years ago. The
conference will deal with cruisers, sub
marines, destroyers and all other classes
of naval auxiliaries. 1t will deal. IN
fact, with practically all kinds of naval
vessels which played major roles in the
World War. 1t will deal with those
classes Of vessels to which the naval
powers have turned in the race for
supremacy since the limitation of the
capital ships. There has been sug-
gestion. too, that an effort will be
made to bring about building holiday
in capital ships also, lasting until 1896,
with the purpose of eventually doing
away altogether with these huge ships
which cost upward Of $4,000, 900 to
construct and arm and which are re-
garded particularly as the offensive arm
of the navy.
This generation has not forgotten the
thrill which the proposal of the United
States for naval limitation sent around
the world in 1921 at the opening of the
washington Conference. This country
made a magnificent gesture in the in
terest of world peace, voluntarily aban-
doning the naval program which in a
few years would have presented Amer
lea with the greatest force of fighting
craft the world had ever seen. Today
the world is waiting for Great Britain
to make its proposal for naval limita-
ton.
The conference will be formally
opened tomorrow by King George.
Through the British prime minister,
Ramsay Macdonald, Britain has taken
leading part in the present demand
for further naval limitation. The plan
for the London Conference was de-
veloped finally by Mr.. Macdonald in
his conferences with President Hoover
here and at the Presidents Virginia
mountain camp last Autumn.
The Mediterranean Sea holds its
particular problems for three of the
nations engaging in the conference, just
as the Pacific Ocean held its problems
for several of the nations taking part
in the Washington Naval Conference.
The problems Of the Pacific were worked
out satisfactorily. A four-power Pacific
treaty was negotiated and later rati-
fed, involving the United States, Great
Britain, France and Japan. A four
power pact related particularly to the
Mediterranean, adhered to by the Brit
ish, French, Italians and the Spanish,
might well be a material aid to the
solution Of the naval auxiliary limita-
ton problem.
The hopeful sign is the desire for
peace expressed by all the nations In
volved. If they make the great effort;
if they are willing to lay aside mere
matters of pride and get down to the
fundamentals, they will succeed.