The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1937-07-07

y
Already British rearmament
has sobered the aggressive ma
tions and profoundly impressed
the strong 'have-nots," Ger
many, Italy and Japan. 1t has
greatly encouraged all the weak
nations from Czechoslovakia to
China. 1t has rejuvenated
Great Britain herself and
brought boom times.
BY paradox, British rearmament
has rescued from the realm of
the impossible the chances for
eventual limitation Of ornaments,
and made at any rate conceivable
at some time in the future a
check to the present race in arms,
Tnaddest and most dangerous ever
embarked upon in history.
Finally, British rearmament al
ready has greatly reduced the
chances of war, and will reduce
them more as British power
grows.
Money no Object
It is growing as fast as the
energies of this new government,
the physical capacity Of the ma
ton, the brains of its scientists,
the experience Of its military men,
and unlimited financial backing
can make it grow. Money is no
object. Last February the govern
ment announced Britain intended
to spend $500 million dollars in
five years on rearmament, but
already it is plain that this sum
will be greatly exceeded and that
10000 million dollars will scarcely
see her through 1912.
The British fought, worked,
robbed, bribed and bullied for 400
years to make the British Empire.
They were hardy enough to grab
q quarter of the earth and today
for every one inhabitant Of these
master islands there are 10 in
habitants Of the Empire, and for
every square mile of the mother
land there are 100 square miles
under the Union Jack abroad.
Lost Two Chances
They only slipped twice. In
l776 they lost their chance to be-
come not the masters Of a mere
quarter of the earth but in a bet
ter sense, of all of it, for the Brit.
ish Empire plus the United States
Of America, as all now agree,
could have established perhaps a
peace which may have lasted cen
turtles.
Then they slipped in 1885.
Britain sent her home fleet into
the Mediterranean and told Italy
to quit her war against Ethiopia.
italy defied Britain to do her
worst. Britain did her worst
since 1776. She quit.
Neither Britain, Italy nor the
world have forgotten it. Since
Nelson 1872 years ago established
the modern sea supremacy OF
Britain at Trafalgar, this was the
first time the British navy had
ever refused battle. They were
whipped by a threat, as their
naval officers groaned, raging at
cautious London.
Few of those who gleefully
pointed the finger of scorn at
weak Britain gave her any credit
for the fact that she was weak
because with an unexampled gen.
eroSity she had disarmed farther
than any of the European powers
which had emerged victorious
from the last war and that, more
than any other European power,
she really had banked on the
League to keep the peace.
Feel World ScOrn
It took a long time for the
most Self-confident people on the
earth to realize that they were
being affronted, that the world
had changed its attitude to Brit
ain. Germany ignored British
diplomatic notes, not even bother
ing to acknowledge receipt of i'm
portant communications. Italy
kept her thumb constantly at her
nose. Japan happily liquidated
British interests in Manchuria.
When Britain did awake it was
with a clenched fist. But it took
more than anger to open the
British cash boxes. It was serious