Evening star., 1934-12-25
PACTS THREATEN
PEACE,LEW|S SAYS
Senator Warns U. S. Should
Have No Limitations
on Arms.

The Star and broadcast over Nation
wide hook-up of the National Broad
casting Co.
Pointing to this country's geo.
graphic location, he said she should
have no limitations on her armament,
nor should there be any race to retain
naval ratios.
The tri-power naval talks, which
ended in London after an unsuccess-
full attempt to maintain the naval
limitation treaties. were the special
object of his attack.
Scraps Of Paper"
Declaring treaties were scraps of
paper violated by all nations when
they face emergencies, the speaker
counseled that the United States re-
fuse to enter contracts with other
nations.
He said this country needs a Navy
only of size sufficient to protect her
own shores against invasion.
There Is one nation which is con-
structlng a navy greater than any,
thing seen before, another nation sur
passing all records in its land prepara
tlons, and third nation seeking to
equal both the other two on sea and
land. the speaker asserted.
Text of Speech.
The text of Senator Lewis speech
follows:
This Is Christmas. 1t is the sea-
son where Christian mankind halls
humanity with angel hosannas pro-
claiming, Peace on earth, good will
to men,"
Yet. the civilization represented at
the London navy construction meet,
construed by action, cries out for
preparation for war and shrieks i'll will
to all people.
Let the United States ask what is
the destiny to America in this chart
of death to men-destruction to ma
tions?
America seeks no war. 1t Graves
peace and offers its prayers for good
will to all mankind.
We ask If there be not war as the
purpose of the nations assembled in
delegations to increase navies, why
any preparation for any size of navies?
II there is assault calculated, then no
compact for limit in quality and guam
tlty Is OF any avail. Nations In war
are needless to any contracts made
on basis OF peace. For people at war,
all force available is ruthlessly
adopted.
COmpacts in World War.
We recall that in the World War
there existed compacts for limitation
OF arms. These were between three
nations, later termed allies, and two
nations of those called central powers.
Yet all these fighting forces threw
aside all treaty guarantees.
See the deception in the pretense of
peace, while exacting that there must
at once be builded all modern ma
chinery of death. In this compact of
contradictions there is included as
mark of Christian consideration a
provision that .hese weapons for
slaughter shall be of only limited
capacity, thus lengthening the dura-
ton of the battles by restricting the
quantity and facility of the engines
Of annihilation.
1t Is like prize fighters, weighing
themselves to match each other in en-
durance for the blows to be blasted
against each other. We catch the
echoes Of the buried Yoricks, murmur-
Ing to the grave diggers in Hamlet" !"
tender, brother, tender"
Peter the Great Quoted.
Let us ask where has an interna-
tional compact of limitation of arms
ever been kept or wherever were they
intended to be upheld as treaties? f.?
Peter the Great of Russia, expressing
contempt for agreements from dele
gates. in consolation exclaimed: "One
word from my brother Charles (mean-
Ing Charles XII of Sweden) is worth
hundred treaties" Treaties, said he,
are ever a laughing matter between
the ENJOYS who make them
In the designs now offered as to
limitation of navy and restricted de-
structlon OF armaments, mankind are
amused and Christianity offended by
the pretenSe for peace-united with
the confessions of the purpose of ma
tional murder. II nations are for
peace, then destroy all armaments of
war. If they are for war. then admit
the object to invest and multiply
every mechanism for the destruction of
countries and every system to assure
the death of mankind.
Bankruptcy Of Nations,
Is 1t to be urged, that with one great
nation now having under construc-
ton navy of proportions and value
exceeding any comparison in all the
history Of the earth, or that one
other great nations standing army is
in excess Of numbers and power of
battery to anything of such nature
ever known to the worlds record and
another nation with preparation to
equal both of the two in war material,
means nothing?
Is this the toy Of the children for
Christmas amusement? Is there no
memory Of 12,000,000 sons of homes
lately shot to their graves and their
homes desolate of support and chris
tened daily in the tears of their be-
loved? Does this mean nothing as
warning? Does the new bankruptcy
Of seven nations, the loss of 40 billions
in money and value and the poverty
and hunger of its suffering millions,
helpless in their hopeleSSness, suggest
nothing Of the fate that follows the
now calculated and destined destruc-
tion of modern civilization?
War on United States Foreseen.
Why should America go into inter-
national compact to guarantee limita-
tion on armament for foreign nations?
Plain it must be that should we enter
the deal and it is disobeyed by any of
its parties, the United States will be
called on by the nations involved to
lend ourselves to enforce the compact.
This means war upon the United
States by the nations we threaten to
force to obedience or war from the
nation we refuse aid in the enforce
ment.
To the United States nothing but
evil and danger await our entrance
into any international contract with
foreign nations preparing for war on
each other.
What is the military geography Of
America? Since the opening of the