The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-06-24
Foredoomed to Failure

President Hoover spoke lne AlHeli-
can mind Wednesday when he sus-
sested a disarmament plan to the
conference at Geneva but it is easy
70 see. from the course which arms
reduction negotiations have taken
since the war, that it was foredoomed
to failure.
Americans are possessed Of pecu-
liar naivete in world affairs in that
they believe what they say and at
tempt to put things on a sane and
understandable basis. They lack the
diplomatic background which makes
rood international horsetraders and,
as a result, they have suffered diplo-
matte defeat in every arms confer
ence since the war.
In 1922 we we're on the way to the
worlds most powerful navy, but cast
the opportunity aside in magniti-
cent gesture toward a world which
was crying for peace.
The other world powers reaped the
fruit of the gesture and said some
nice things about American altruism.
But they laughed in their sleeves and
failed to cooperate. In all our ef-
forts to obtain disarmament We have
constantly and continually be n
bilked. An analysis of the disarma-
ment progress of the last decade
leads us to the belief that it has come
to nothing.
Practically every nation except
America is maintaining all the arma-
ment it can afford except in time of
imminent crisis. Hard as it is for us
to give up our hopes of peaceful
world with only armament enough to
care for police needs, we may as we'll
resign ourselves to the fact that Eur
ope does not agree with us-and chart
our course on that basis.
From any reasonable standpoint
there can be no argument or criticism
of President Hoover's declaration. 1t
was frank, fair and to the point. But
that fact may have been its greatest
weakness in the view of the French,
who have barred the way to disarma-
ment consistently since the war
The Importance OF Paris from a po-
litical standpoint rests upon and is
bolstered by French preparedness.
Reduce Frances army, navy and air
forces to the size they should be, and
French statesmen would no longer
pull the wires which rule Europe.
That must be avoided at all costs
and so we hear talk Of security, II
it were not tragedy it would be laugh
able.
1t may be the gloomy side of the
picture. but it seems as though the
best thing to do, now that America
offer has apparently been rejected, is
to call Our delegates to the disarma-
ment conference home.
The CHASTITY joke has gone on long
enough. It has accomplished moth
ing and. if anything. has added to
the suspicion and discomfort already
rampant in Europe. We have made
no friends by our participation there
and We hare none 20 lose by leaving
Appropriations -otaiiag hundreds OF
thousands Of dollars have been made
to MAINTAIN ol- representatives a,
the conference. which might bette,
be termed Al International game O.
ring AROUND -1le--csT.
And ~ TIE ia--s tI--e, we nigh;
as vel tel THE world .hz. We are only
casually .-Is-eaze6 n the conference
at LaEaal-es .i-ai Vs ex1ee. TO COL
lect css- Tzr sesrs and stat tie A..
rsrEe-e-ls 5-eT MAKE s1.-1g.x .he-.
se.Tes zrs cf III l-gs:.s5 10 Il. We
got .r1s &c s.s s,1La cr war aah
QUIZ hssEg1G -Gr .e Tic ASK Of eIea.-
Ing ~ si1e v-ssxaas .--r- wat .oz
appears 10 .aps sen All vi .zar and
graspG-G reacs srsaHYs
America esz. Inss nothing By adopt
ing toward Esrrce ecurse modsiet
on the Same principles OF selftshnes,
which the European nations have fol-
lowed toward Us II might have tn
effect Of bringing the French AMI
some Of the other nations to thei
senses. At the very least it woul.
prevent misunderstanding.
Military Training in Schools