Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1932-07-06
TELEPHONE NUMBER NINE
PRESIDENT HoovER's PROPOSAL

The plan of President Hoover for a reduction of one
third IN the ornaments of the great nations of the world is
the most important proposal of its kind in a generation.
Its acceptance and carrying out in good faith by the ma
tons involved would be a great deal toward relieving the
world tax burden and starting the nations on the slow
process to recovery. The proposals as summarized by the
Associated Press follow:
A reduction of one-third in all land armies over and
above the "so-called police component
Abolition of all bombing planes and total prohibition of
all commandments from the air.
Abolition of all tanks, chemical warfare and large mo-
bile guns.
Reduction in the treaty number and tonnage of battle
ships by one-third.
A % per cent reduction in the treaty tonnage of all air.
craft carriers, cruisers and d~estroyers.
A reduction by one-third of all submarine tonnages.
with no nation retaining more than $4,000 tons.
In bringing about such reductions, the President sug-
gested that "the following principles should be our
guide:'
'Flrst-The kellogg-Briand pact, to which we are all
slgnatories, can only mean that the nations Of the world
have agreed that they will use their arms solely for de-
tense.
"Second-This reduction should be carried out not
only by broad general cuts in ornaments but by increas-
ing the comparative powe rof defense through decreases
in the power of the attack.
"Third-The ornaments of the world have grown up in
general mutual relations to each other. And. speakino
generally, such relatively should be preserved in making
reductions.
"Fourth-Ihe reductions must be real and positive.
They must effect economic relief.
"~Fifth-There are three problems to deal with-land
forces, air forces and naval forces. They are all intercon-
nected. No part of the proposals which | make can be
disassociated one from the other.''
The proposals are so clear cut and so fair that they
ought to be understood by people everywhere, even
the European diplomats. They are based on the assump-
ton that the only way to disarm is to disarm, and that
the only fair way is for every nation to make equal sacri-
flee.
The chief obstacles to overcome are Of course political.
The French demand that they have some sort of security
pact if they are to cut disarmament. To the average man
it is difficult to see why France would need any more Sc
curity under the pact if every nation cuts its armament
one third, than she needs at present. The statement of
M. Pau[Boncour on the subject follows:
''The reduction of ornaments is inseparably bound up
with security. Hoover's plan Of mass reduction will be
welcomed if it is combined with international provisions
for security. We are willing to study Hoover's proposals
if America will study the requirements of French secur-
ity.'
This can be taken to mean that unless world sentiment,
which includes the sentiment of the French people them
selves, is not great enough to overcome the p~rejudices and
schemlng OF the International politicians, the process of
securing disarmament along the lines suggested bv Presi-
dent Hoover will be a long and tedious one.
At any rate President Hoover has pointed the wav. and
it is up to the European politicians to help the world, by
forgetting some Of their differences and doing something
constructive for the future benefit of the world-economic
as well as political. If they do not avail themselves of
this opportunity it will become more apparent than ever
that the real trouble in Europe is not economic paralysis
but the selfishness of European politics which would ra-
Their ruin the world than permit any fancied political adj
vantage to be given up.
At any rate President Hoover's clear cut and concise
suggestions ought to effectively silence our own profess