Evening star., 1933-05-16
u. S. Arms Thesis
All Nations Asked to Enter
Agreement Of Nom
Aggression.
Continued From First Page.)

not await deliberations long drawn
out. The conference must establish
order in place Of the present chaos
by a sterilization Of curencies, by
freeing the how Of world trade and
by international action to raise price
levels. It must, In short, supple
ment individual domestic programs
for economic recovery by wise and
considered international action:
Arms Crisis Persists.
The Disarmament Conference has
labored for more than q year and,
as yet. has been unable to reach sat
isfactory conclusions. Confused pur-
poses still clash dangerously. Our
duty lies in the direction of bring
ing practical results through con-
certed action based upon the great
est good to the greatest number. Be-
fore the imperative call Of this great
duty, petty obstacles must be swept
away and petty aims forgotten. A
selfish victory is always destined to
be an ultimate defeat. The further
ance Of durable peace for our gen.
Grafton In every part Of the world is
the only goal worthy Of our best
efforts.
If we ask what are the reasons
for armaments, which, In spite Of
the lessons and tragedies Of the
World War, are today greater bur-
den on the peoples Of the earth than
ever before, it bcomes clear that they
are two-fold:
First, the desire, disclosed or hid
den, on the part Of governments to
enlarge their territories at the ex-
pense Of a sister nation. I believe
that only a small minority Of gov
ernments or Of peoples harbor such
a purpose.
Second. the fear of nations that
they will be invaded. I believe that
the overwhelming majority Of peo-
Piles feel obliged to retain excessive
armaments because they fear some
act of aggression against them and
not because they themselves seek
to be c-gressors.
Offensive Weapons Strongest
There IS justification for this fear.
Modern weapons OF of1ense are
vastly stronger than modern weapons
Of defense. Frontier forts. trenches,
wire entanglements, coast defenses
in a word, fixed fortifications-are
no longer impregnable to the at
tack of war planes, heavy mobile ar
tillery, land battleships called tanks
and poison gas.
If all nations will agree wholly to
eliminate from possession and use
the weapons which make possible
successful attack, defenses auto
matically will become impregnable
and the frontiers and independence
Of every nation will become secure.
The ultimate objective Of the Dis
armament Conference must be the
complete elimination Ct all offensive
weapons. The immediate objective
is q substantial reduction Of some Of
these weapons and the elimination
Of many others.
Proposed Measures Welcomed.
This Government believes that the
program for immediate reduction Of
aggressive weapons. now under dis
cussion at Geneva, Is but first step
toward our ultimate goal. We do
not believe that the proposed i'm
mediate steps go far enough. Never
theless, this Government welcomes
the measures now proposed and will
exert its influence toward the attain
ment Of further successive steps Of
disarmament.
Stated In the clearest way, there
are three steps to be agreed upon In
the present discussions:
First. To take, at once. the first
definite step toward this objective,
as broadly outlined In the MacDcn-
aid plan.
Second. To agree upon time and
procedure for taking the following
steps.
Third. To agree that while the
first and the following steps are be-
ing taken no nation shall increase
its existing ornaments over and
above the limitations Of treaty obi
cations
Fourth Step Suggested.
But the peace Of the world must
be assured during the whole period
Of disarmament, and I, therefore,
propose q fourth step concurrent
with and wholly dependent on the
faithful fulhllment Of these three
proposals and subject to existing
treaty rights:
That all the nations Of the world
should enter into a solemn and def
mite pact Of non-aggression:
That they should solemnly reanirm
the obligations they have assumed
to limit and reduce their ornaments;
and, provided these obligations are
faithfully executed by all signatory
powers, individually agree that they
will send no armed force Of whatso-
ever nature across their frontiers.
Common sense points out that II
any strong nation refuses to join
with genuine sincerity In these con-
certed efforts for political and
economic peace, the one at Geneva
and the other at London, progress
can be obstructed and ultimately
blocked. In such event, the civil