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The Commoner
iJTOL.,21, NO. 12
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Disarmament Confer
ence Letters
(Following aro some of the special reports of
tho Disarmament Conference, in session at Wash
ington during the past month, which were fur
nished by Mr Bryan and carried by tho United
Press. Other phases of the Conference proceed
ings are discussed in tho editorial columns.
Ed.)
NO SECURITY IX GUARANTEES OP FORCE
The outstanding features of yestorday wore
tho newspaper discussion of Prance's attitude on
guarantees and the conference committee's con
sideration of the Far East question. Editor -Millet
of itho "Petit Parisian," tells his read
ers that the childishness of such a policy, viz:
the alliance between United Stales and Prance,
"is made clear by the mere fact that an alliance
or any kind of an understanding involving
permanent commitments is inconceivable be
tween the United States and any power, in view
ot tho itfesent statv of opinion in the American
Senate, as well as that ot the American Repub
lic. It would be deplorable that France should
appear to try to become a party in a nonexisting
contract. Preposterous rumors already are be
ing circulated in this respect, which I have been
authorised to deny emphatically."
It is well to have this matter understood in
the beginning. The proposed . treaty between
United States and Prance whereby the United
States agreed in advance to protect her in case
of attack never had any support in the United
States. There never was a day when if could
have received favorable consideration in the
Senate, and any favor shown for it in 1919 has.
disappeared. It -s not tLat 1he United State
is less sympathetic toward Francejbut that there
lf. growing conviction that jmaratces of
FORCE will not settle the problems which the
world has to meet That was the old plan and
it brought on the oloodiest war in the world's
history. There has been a tremendous reaction
against war in the United States, as well as in
other countries. This is shown by the refusal
of congress to provide for as many soldiers in
the regular army as the Secretary of War asked,
by its failure to Tote as much money to the navy
as the Secretary of the Navy asked and by the
total disappearance of the sentiment, once quite
strong, in favor of universal compulsory mili
tary (training. The people of the United States
believe that the revolution in opinion now going
on will create in France if it has not already
done so a feeling that securities for the future
ought to be found in the substitution of friend
ship aad good will for the former methods of
diplomacy and that these securities will not only
be suJScIeai bat very much more effective than
th&se that rested upon the exciting of fer.
The Far East question wJH be settled along
the same lino as that which will furnish secur
ity ft France, With the disappearance of offen
sive mavaes will cme Ibe spirit of conciliation.
"No one would have Japan moderate her aiubi
tioa. It is ambition, individual and national,
wMch. has brought in Japan a development
whMi bas astaaashed the world. It would be a
inSsfoaritasie to the world If Japan's aspirations
were fiiaauaisheA. There Is evidence that Japan
catchtog the spirit of the cay, is preparing to
erapltoy t3se larger and bette methods frthe
Axtaatiinjg of bter tafltteac. As China's nearest
BrJjibor, sbe cannot bull be interested a the
l&ttittjMr's devselcpiaeat. Her jsroserity is inter
woresn with. She prosperity of China's great re
public Wnea the threat of force is abandoned
and persuasioa swbMitta for it, she will be in
vited to do more tnan she now can do hy force.
Japan should be to driut, wbat tie United States
Is to the republics of Central and South America,
This nation has for More than a century been
next friend to South America and la all that
time it has never askod for a. favor or sought to
compel the granting of a concession, Heace, a
number of tt&e 3jatia-Anrican republics de
clared war on G-ermany as soon as the United
States did. That Is the spirit that ought to ex
ist between Japan and China and that is the
spirit that will exist wbeai mutual benefit is se
""" cured by agreements.
The older nations have furnished Japan with
abundant precedent for armed diplomacy bat
the day or such diplomacy Is passed and Japan
will find as great relief and as nsuch satisfaction
in adopting modern methods as any other na
tion; No people have shown themselves more
ready to Imitate the beat they could find in other
nations and tho best thing in the world today
is the spirit of justice resting upon friendship
and operating through reason. W. J. B.
PROBLEMS DISCUSSED FRANKLY
Discussion is the beginning of agreement and
the time is now being spent in discussion. There
is a commendable frankness in the proceedings.
Recognizing the difference between a principle
and a detail, the delegates are suggesting modi
fications which may or may not alter the prin
ciple. Two of these modifications demand con
sideration at the present time. First; Great
Britain suggests a decrease in the submarine
tonnage required and the elimination of the
long-distance submarine. There is a great deal
of force in this suggestion and when it is
whipped into shape it will, in all probability, re
sult in the suppression of all submarines in
tended for offensive purposes. As an inexpensive
weapon of defense nothing has ever equalled the
submarine, unless it be the bomb-dropping air
plane, and it is not likely that the final agreement
will weaken the DEFENSIVE power of any na
tion. The United States is as anxious as Great
Britain to abolish every offensive weapon of war
and to reduce to the lowest possible point the
defensive weapons. Just as Great Britain esti
mates her need of ships by the extent of her
empire, so a country like the United States will
estimate its need of defensive weapons by the ex
tent of the coast line which it has to protect.
Japan is likely to agree with the United States
in favoring a sufficient defensive armament. If
the provision suggested can be confined to de
fensive work, there will be little objection, be
cause no nation' is likely to burden itself with
unnecessary defensive preparation. It is- the of
fensive armament that has aroused the ire of the
world and this armament, whether it be on land
or sea, must be put in process of extinction. The
long-distance submarine embodies possibilities
in the way of aggression and will be the subject
of scrutiny; whether it is entirely done away
with will depend upon the extent to which pre
caution is carried. The masses in the United
States will be Inclined to give the benefit of the
doubt to peace and therefore favor the elimina
tion of any weapon not absolutely necessary to
defense which can be used for an attack upon
the rights of any other nation.
Mr. Balfour's suggestion in regard to giving
shipyards enough work to maintain the organ
ization does not strike a responsive chord. Dur
ing the war, "Keep the Home Fires Burning"
was quite a popular song but "Keep the Ship
yards Running" is quite a different thing. There
is an obvious advantage in the maintenance of
the organization but, just now, the world needs a
rest For a generation before the late war the
din of the munition factories drowned the voice
of conscience; now, that that conscience has as
serted Itself, it ought not to be drowned by the
riveting of armor on battleships. To those who
witnessed the impressive ceremony at Arlington
where the unknown soldier was laid to rest in
the presence of the representatives of the world
nothing was more impressive than the two min
utes of silent prayer. If the place of burial had
been near to a shipyard, it is not likely that the
authorities would have permitted the silence to
he broken by hammering upon war vessels The
world needs the same stillness today in the navy
yards- a quiet that will permit the world to
meditate, undistrubed, upon the horrors of war
and to seek the pathway that leads to universal
and perpetual peace.
The naval holiday, if it is to be of value, must
be real. It will be easy enough for the great
nations to resume work at any time, If it ever
becomes necessary to resume preparations for
war, and they will all be upon an equal footln
"Peace. Be still" once calmed the sea; why nSt
use the command to quiet the yards out of which
come the ships that give to the sea a fury mat
er than that stirred by the deadliest stoTiu
W. J. B.
PIONEERS OF NAVAL HOLIDAY
When the Arms Conference adjourns if if
succeeds as now seems certain, an effort win
he made by historians to distribute cred I amon
those who have paved tho way. When that t?mf
comes Argentina and Chili will be SmeSbered
as pioneers. Nineteen years ago Sev m?2S
upon a naval holiday of eighteen months a
small holiday as compared with the present
between two nations as compared with tie wortd
hut it was seed sown. world,
It will be remembered that ContrrA
Hensley of Missouri was also a pioneer wf in
troduced a resolution for a naval hoUda? '
But in a great movement like this everything
look ng toward peace Is aided by everything tw
speaks, in the language of. peace. Areentint a!
Chili launched; an idea when they built un d
boundary line between the two countriPT
heroic statue of peace ..called the Christ nf iln
Andes. The tunnel between Argentine and rim
now carries through the mountains those
formally crossed the ridge of the Andes nS
2,500 feet above the level of the tunnel it
worth climbing over the ridge to look unon JKI
Impressive symbol of peaces the Prince of Ppw
Only recently the United States and CaS,'
Joined in the building of a peace arch on tS
boundary between the State of Washington ami
British Columbia. One does not need to h
gifted with the spirit of prophecy to foresee tho
erection of similar peace arches over all of thft
important thoroughfares between the two coun
tries. Is it too much to hope that the time will
come why not soon? When France and Ger
many will unite in building a peace arch cm tho
boundary between the two countries. In Ber
lin a monument was built of captured cannon
and in Paris they have the Arch of Triumph. An
arch of peace on the boundary line will be even
more glorious for, in the words of Milton, "Peace
hath her victories no less renowned than war"
W. J. B.'
OHIXESE QUESTION OFFERS OPPORTUNITY
'China comes to the front In the discussion
over the interpretation of the principle agreed
upQn. The most important question is whether
independence in her domestic affairs means what
it says or it means that the outside nations shall
have a control over her custom house and its
receipts. The question can only be settled in
one way if independence means anything. Here
is n republic exercising authority over several
hundred millions of people with education in
creasing and the patriotic spirit developing. By
what logic can outside nations demand the right
to collect and apportion customs? If China
cannot be trusted to collect her revenues and
properly distribute them, what can she do? The
old question arises, which comes first the man
or the dollar? Jefferson said the man; Lincoln
said the man; Roosevelt said the man. Hard
ing said the man; that is what all the civilized
nations say. The very essence of democracy is
the superiority of the man over the money.
Civilization itself depends on the man's su
periority; the whole trend of progress is in that
direction. They used to imprison for debt; no
civilized nation does that now. They still bom
bard cities for debt and kill innocent people for
debt, but it. is a waning custom and the Chinese
question offers an opportunity for the adoption
a n.ew Plcy No nation can withstand pub
lic opinion; public opinion requires integrity on
the part of public officials. The enforcement of
international obligations can safety be entrusted
to public opinion, especially if the conference
creates a tribunal before which every dispute can
be brought. Instead of haggling over China's
right to conduct her own affairs, the leading na
tions might better send ambassadors to China,
welcome her to full fellowship among the great
nations and trust her sense of honor to compel
a conscientious regard for. all her obligations
to the world. W. J. B.
The urge that possesses some men to paint
things up leads to strange happenings. In the
days before prohibition they painted up the
town, and now we hear of cases where they are
drinking iodine.
THE IMPORTANCE OF, THINGS
What is the most important thing in the
world today for men to accomplish? Many an
swers might be made to. the question by single
track minds. Wo mention a few of them:
The disarmament of nations and the end of
war.
The triumph of the Christian religion.
The suppression of-radical attacks on estab
lished economic principles.
The solution of problems disturbing capital
and labor.
The universal prohibition of intoxicants.
The impartial enforcement of laws.
These are a half dozen ot a score which will
occur to any thoughtful person. All of them
TS tost efforts ot great organizations in
civilized nations, hut nono of them have the sup
port of all men. So far as our observation ex
tends, tho Big Purpose of all men everywhere--tne
one thing which rcIx individual thinks most
important is to "get along" himself, to make
money, to grow rich, to secure his own ease and
comfort, and
To let the Devil take the hindmost Chicago
Journal ot Commerce. " -