Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 75, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 December 1920 — DISARMAMENT [ARTICLE]

DISARMAMENT

A member of the Japanese delegation to the league of nations said on Saturday that Japan would be forced to maintain powerful military and naval forces as long as the United States insists on increasing the size of its fighting machine —a very natural conclusion. The whole program of reduction of armaments is being delayed by our failure to participate. While it is being discussed, we are rushing naval construction, and before long, at the present rate of progress, shall have the most powerful navy in the world. .'Such is our answer to the efforts of dhe league to free the world from the terrible burden and menace of militarism. Yet only last week the British government announced that would for the present refrain from making any increase in the naval strength of the empire. President Wilson was asked by the league to send a representative to deal solely with this armament question. He declined on the ground that this country was not a member of •tjhe league, and, that he had no power to act as requested. Last week a resolution was offered by' r Senator Walsh of Montana requesting the president to send such a representative. It did not, he thought, matter that we were not a member of the league, since the American people are interested — certainly they ought to be—-in any movement looking to world wide disarmament. The senator said that the “almost inconceivable sum” of $1,500,000,000 is sought this year for the army and navy, and that this had given rise- to the unjust suspicion that America had imperialistic designs. Whether this suspicion is unjust or not, it is certainly true that our present policy is a serious obstacle to the reduction of armaments.

So we are imposing a crushing burden, not only to ourselves, but on ether nations, which are much less able to bear it. In this particular our influence is evil, and is giving direct encouragement to the perpetuation of the old and wicked order under which the world was almost wrecked. Our people, who are demanding a reduction of taxes, should steadily keep in mind the fact that out of every dollar of taxes taken from them 78 cents goes to pay for .past and future wars. Not so long ago we were all rather shocked to learn that we had a billion dollar — which mean that $1,000,<OOO,OOO was spent in two years. Then <came congresses that spent $1,000,000,000 in a single year. Now we are proposing to spend $1,500,000,000 for 4the army and navy. In commenting <cn a recent speech of Senator Harding, in which he discussed unsympathetically the subject of disarmament, the New York Evening Post said: Was it really the intention of the -American people on election day that •we should hold aloof from this great work? Mr. Harding, in the speech quoted, spoke of America as the great stabilizing influence, in the world, as the leader in the movement

back to a “right order.” Is this the right order the American people want —America uninvolved, "unmortgaged” and armed to the teeth? Here is a subject to which the “wise minds,” among them that of the doughty militia colonel, George Harvey, might well give their attention. —Indianapolis News.