Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-22
BY ALBIN e. JOHNSON.

~ ENEVA.-Prospects for the In
ternational Limitation and
T Reduction of Armaments Con-
ference, scheduled to start in
Geneva in about eight weeks,
becoming the biggest show since the
Versailles treaty negotiations have
frightened perceptibly in the past few
weeks, despite the fact a Sino-Japanese
war cloud doomed on the horizon.
Almost simultaneously with the news
that the ornaments truce" may be-
come a reality for the next IL months,
through the more or less conditional
acceptances of about so of the So coun-
tries invited to the disarmament par
ley, word has reached Geneva that Ar
thur Henderson will refuse to be jock
eyed out of the presidency. Defeated
in the recent British elections, although
still retaining the nominal leadership
of the Labor party, Henderson, it ap-
pears, is turning to his second love.
Two things are written on the British
Labor leaders heart-the Socialist
party and disarmament. In passing,
1t might be added that neither he nor
Mrs. Henderson has gotten over the
loss of a favorite son in the World
War.
Has Time for His Task
With the Labor party in eclipse for
the next few years, at least. Mr.. Hen
derSon can well afford to turn his
energies toward bringing some measure
of success to the worlds initial effort
to hammer swords into plowshareS."
He was chosen president of the con-
ference by the League Council when it
became apparent that Washington
would not approve an American, and
when Charles Evans Hughes made it
clear that his duties as Chief Justice
would not permit his leaving Washing
ton for an extended period.
The European states could not agree
upon continental; there was no Latin
American or Spaniard of sufficiently
large caliber to fill the chair. Hen
derson became the compromise choice
and perhaps the best possible choice
available in Europe upon whom most
countries could agree. Furthermore,
the ex-Laborite foreign minister carries
the reputation of having salvaged the
London Naval Conference when things
were going badly and of having brought
together the French and Italian govern
mentS by the Rome accord last Spring,
whereunder it was made possible for
Washington, London and Japan to
rat1fy the pact without availing them
selves of the safeguarding clause"
That something will be done under
HenderSon's leadership goes without
question. The disarmament policy of
the late Labor government was not the
policy OF the Labor party alone, but
the reasoned-out program of all British
parties. At Geneva Mr.. Henderson,
therefore, will represent Great Britain
as Wen as the League, while at the
same time being completely free of re-
sponslbility to any government delega-
ton or group. His views consequently
are both interesting and important.
Called Most vital Vesua
Disarmament I5y collective agree
ment," says Mr.. Henderson, "is the
most important question in present
day international politics and the acid
test OF nations loyalty to the ideals.
aims and purposes of the League of
Nations. If the members of the League
believe in the peaceful undertakings
they have assumed, the optional clause
for compulsory arbitration, the gen.
erai act, for all-in Cancellation, arbi-
tration and judicial settlements and
the treaty of financial assistance to
an aggrieved state, then they ought to
make their acceptance of these inStru-
mentS living reality.
Having accepted the machinery of
pacific and universal arbitration. hay-
ing testified to their faith in the reign
OF law and justice in the international
sphere. they should demonstrate to
the world that their remuneration of
war is real by collectively limiting and
reducing the military means at their
disposal. In the face of such a mani
feStation ornaments would soon lose
their significance, disarmament would
definitely and permanently enter the
realm of practical politics, ornaments
competition would end and the prob
lem of ornaments would at once as
sumo different complexion"
Threats of war and rumors evidently
do not impress the British Socialist
leader very deeply. If there is any
real danger in the present situation,
Mr.. Henderson believes, it is not the
risk of war in the immediate future.
but rather the risk that through failure
to carry out policy of disarmament
nations may drift into the situation
which existed before the war In lnld