THE UNION COUNTY PAPER EVERYBODY READS IT
"TOE UNION COUNTY PAPER EVERYBODY NEEDS IT
Monroe journ ai
PUBLISHED TWICE EACH WEEK TUESDAY AND FRIDAY
Vol.27. No. 104.
Monroe,-N. C Friday, February 3, 1922
$2.00 Per Year Cash
Tthif
JL Jul IP
GRAPHIC PICTURE
SUFFERING NATIOiN
Mr. Thomas Writes of Desperate
Condition of the Armenian
Women and Children
FAITHFUL IN WORLD WAR
No People Did More in Proportion
to Strength and Now Wo Must
Care for the Helpless
By W. E. Thomas of the Monroe Bar
On last Saturday at the Strand
Theater a picture was shown that
every citizen of Union county should
have seen. It was not a romantic
picture of high society life, in which
langorously alluring women half
clothed in purple and fine linen flitted
through the picture eagerly pursued
by gay Lotharios, smartly and nobish
' ly attired. It was a picture showing
the misery, suffering and death of a
nation of heroic people.
It was a picture that would have
stirred the stoniest of hearts. There
were little children shown whose skull
bones were visible through the facial
skin. There were pale, wan-faced
children with lusterless eyes and hag
gard expressions. Their pinched,
wrinkled and saddened faces looked
like the faces of old men rather than
those of little children. It was in
deed a pitiable sight one that wrung
the hearts of those that saw it in
the deepest of sympathy. The scenes
were taken in Armenia and presented
a true picture of the actual condition
of the people of thaj country.
We are inclined to look upon the
Armenians as "them foreigners' and
straightway classify all foreigners as
being alike and unworthy of our con
sideration. Such a view is unfair
both to ourselves and to the Ar
menians. First of all. Armenia is a
Christian nation. It possesses the
oldest national Christian church. It
is the oldest Christian nation in the
world. It is the scene of many of
the events laid down in the Bible.
Erivan, its capital, lies in the shadow
of Mt. Ararat where Noah built the
ark. To the southwest is the land
where Jesus walked. For one thou
sand vears Armenia as a nation has
been persecuted by the unspeakable
Turks because tney wouia not re
nounce Christ and all he stood for
and become Mohammedans. During
this "thousand years of-persecution
there is no record of a single Ar
menian renouncing Christ and becom
ing Mohammedan. Has history re
corded any more loyal spirit than
this?
Have Held Steadfast
Men have been butchered in their
homes. Women have been carried
off to unsneakable Turkish harems;
little children have been turned into
the streets to die; their mothers and
fathers murdered, by the brutal in
vaders, but not a single Armenian
has given in to the Turk super-bigot
The periodical massacres of Ar
menians reported by refugees who es
caped with their skin, were branded
as false by the Turk. These regular
massacres of Christians have been car
ried on for years,-but the Turk never
threw off his disguise, pretending all
the while that he wanted every re
ligion given free opportunity to ex
ercise itself in the midst of the Sul
tan's realm. He never tore aside the
curtain and revealed himself in all
his diabolical shape, until his ally,
the. Kaiser, seemed to be winning on
all fronts in the late war. Then he
threw aside the mask, and announced
that he intended to stamp out Chris
tianity from his dominion. So he let
loose the fire and sword. The Four
Horsemen of the Apocalypse began
to ride across the Armenion plains.
The Turk's program was to destroy
all adults who believed in Christ. The
men were all gone to war, but the
women were outraged and slain or
carried off to Turkish harems, and the
little children turned into the streets
to die.
With three million inhabitants five
years ago, Armenia has but one and
a half million left today, and that
million and a half, namely, women and
children, will starve unless Christian
America shall meet the needs of a
nation about to die. They have noth
ing, absolutely nothing.
A Noble Record
Armenia made the greatest propor
tionate sacrifice to the cause of free
dom in the great war. We are ac
customed to think of the suffering of
England, of the sacrifice of France,
of the heroism of little Belgium, but
not even Belgium gave as Armenia
gave in proportion to numbers to the
cause of. freedom. Out of a popu
lation but one-fifth as large again as
North Carolina, she sent 400,000 to
the war and most of them never
came back. It is not known that any
unit of Armenians ever retreated or
that they ever surrended. What na
tion in the World War has any such
record as this? They did not retreat
and they did not surrender, but with
the spirit of men of Thermopylae,
they died. Their women and children
were left. It is our sacred and pa
triotic duty to take care of these
women and children of our former
comrades in arms.
Armenia has paid the most dread
ful price of the war for religious faith
and national principle. Had the al
lied nations fulfilled their duty, she
would today be on the way to re
habilitation, and with diseased and
bestial Turk expelled from her boun
daries and her people at last permit
ted to call their souls their own. Ulti
mately this result will be achieved,
but no man knows when. It can
Continued oa Pago Eight
COUNTY'S ROAD BONDS
TO BE SOLD MARCH 15TH
Petitions Were Circulated Calling for
ai Election on the I'rosposition
But Few Signers Secured
The time for filing petitions for
an election on the proposition of is
suing $250,000 worth of bonds for
buildtng and maintaining roads in
Union county expired yesterday,
Quite a number of petitions were cir
culated in various sections of the
county, but the check-up shows that
comparatively few signers were se
cured.
Mr. John C. Sikes. county attorney
informs The Journal that the County
Commissioners will meet in regular
session next Monday, reb. 6th, and
that arrangements are being made to
offer the $250,000 bonds for sale on
March lath.
There has been quite a bit of op
position to the issuing of the pro
posed bonds to continue road work
. i . i. . i
in uie county, out since ine ntrces
sar? per centage of the qualified vot
era failed to sign the petition for
the election there is nothing for the
commissioners to do but to go ahead
and sell the bonds.
Bonds to the amount of 25,000
will also be sold on February 17th
for the purpose of erecting a new
school building and" auditorium for
the Marshville district This new
building will be in addition to the one
already in use and is needed to take
care of the increase in the school
population in that district I
Death of Mrs. P. W. Cook
Mrs. P. Wu Cook died almost sud
denly Wednesday night at her home
in Icemorlce. A short while after she
retired her husband heard her mak
ing a strange noise as though she
might be having a nightmare and
could not be awakened and within
short time she was dead.
Mrs. Cook was afflicted with high
blood pressure, but was in her usual
health up to the timeot her death.
Deceased is survived by her husband
and six children. Mrs. Z. V. Gray of
Great Falls, S. C, Mrs. Fred Coan of
Monroe, Mrs. J. W. Shepperd of Rock
ingham, Mrs. Wjll Henderson of
Charlotte, and Mrs. Earl Curlee of
Monroe are the daughters and Mr. P.
W. Cook of Hamlet is the surviving
son.
Mrs. Looks maiden name was
Miss Angie Hasty, daughter of the
late Sheriff J. J. Hasty. She was
nearly 63 years of age. She was
most excellent woman, a member of
the Methodist church and her friends
are numerous. -
Funeral was held this morning at
11 o'clock in Icemorlee Methodist
church, Rev. J. R. Warren conducting
the services, and the remains were
interred in the Monroe cemtery.
. Mr. Riggins Believes in Fish
Mr. G. L. Riggins of Lanes Creek
township is preparing to eat fresh
fish that haven't been on cold storage.
He recently received from the gov
ernment at Washington 3000 - lish,
from one to three inches in length,
and placed them in his pond which ho
prepared last spring. Mr. Kiggins ha
alreaily caught and placed in his pond
a lot of creek fish carp, brem and
sun fish same of them almost a foot
long. He keeps them well fed in order
to induce them to lc; alone the small
ones in the pond, instead of carrying
out the iea o: the survival oi the tit
test.
St. Luke Lutheran.
Bible school Sunday morning at 10
o clock. Mr. Jennings Boger superln
tendent. Services at 11 o'clock. Sub
ject: The Transfiguration qf our
Lord. Text, Matt. 17:1, "And after
ilx days Jesus taketh Peter, James
and John his brother, and bringeth
them up Into a high mountain apart,
and was .transfigured before them:
and his face did shine as the sun and
his raimant was white as the light."
Luther League at 6:30 p. m. Ves-
pers with sermon at 7 p. ni. The pub
lic Is Invited to all services.
Do You Have Wool For Sale?
The State Division of Marketing at
Raleigh informs us that a wool buyer
representing a Philadelphia firm has
recently offered some of the wool
growers in the State 28c per pound
t o. b. shipping point lor quarter to
three-eighths blood grease wool and
Cc less per pound for black and burry
wool. If you have wool for sale and
desire our help in marketing it, we
shall be glad to hear from you. We
would like to know how much wool
there is in the county for sale. Let
us know how many pounds you have.
T. J. W. Broom.
Indies Invited to Join Auxiliary
The American Legion Auxiliary
cordially Invites all ladies, who are
eligible for membership in the aux
iliary, 1. e., those whoso father, son.
husband or brother died in service
or wnos3 father, son, husband or
brother is now a paid-up member of
the Legion, to the Joint social meet
ing to be held with the Legion In Its
club rooms Monday evening. Feb. 6,
at 7:30. Last year's membership in
the Auxiliary was made up entirely
of ladles, who were eligible through
some member of the local post of the
Legion, because In getting organized
and doing something for the disabled
soldiers, the time was taken up.
However, the auxiliary is anxious to
have every woman, who is eligible,
become a member this year.and It is
only through their own co-operation
that the membership committee can
know of their eligibility. The Invi
tation It yours. Come to the meet
ing and see if you wouldn't like to
Join the Auxiliary.
MONROE TO HAVE
A ROTARY CLUB
The Preliminary Organization
Perfected Last Night at
the Hotel Joffre
HAS 19 CHARTER MEMBERS
Charter 'Applied For and Monroe
Definitely Placed in the Inter
national Association
Pledged in a spirit of practical ser
vice to the community, the individual
and their craft, a group of prominent
business and professional men placed
this city definitely in the famous in
ternational associaton of Rotary Clubs
last night by taking the preliminary
steps for the organization of a club
here.
The meeting was held in the Hotel
Joffro at 6:30 o'clock and 19 business
and professional men signed the
pledge as charter members. The
charter will be received within a few
days and other members will then be
received, at which time the oihecrs
will be elected.
The preliminary organization was
assisted by six members of the Char
lotte club, by Mr. John rox of the
Southern Power Company.
The meeting last evening was the
culmination of a series of conferences
that have been held between the local
people interested in forming the or
ganization and representatives of the
national office, the local district and
the clubs of nearby cities where Ro
tary has been established for some
time.
Through the-Tormation of the new
club, with its unique features of fel
lowship and conduct of business, this
city becomes a part of a world en
circling body of representative men
dedicated to the spirit of service en
compassing more than a thousand
communities in twenty-five countries.
Origin of Rotary
Rotary came into beine in Chicago.
February 23. 1905. with a btoud of
four men one a coal dealer, one a
mining operator, one a merchant
tailor, and the fourth an aHornev,
The attorney, Paul P. Harris, first ad
vnnced the idea of forming a club
different from any club then known
and to him belongs the credit for
starting the great Rotary movement
At this meetins of the four, when
decision was made to organize a club,
it was also decided to invite to mem.
bership just one man from each "dif
ferent business or professional call
ing. A printer, a real estate man, an
insurance man, and a banker, were
the next lour admitted.
"Rotary" was chosen as the name
of the new club because the members
met in "rotation" -t their places of
business. "Rotation Club" seemed
somewhat inapt so the" adopted the
shorter lorm "Kotary Club."
I lie Chicago club continued to in
crease in membership. In 11)08
three years after the first meeting
tne second Kotary club was organized
in San Francisco. Other clubs fol
lowed on the Pacific coast and then
the movement spread to the east and
then to the south until sixteen clubs
had been organized by the end of 1910.
It was 'n 1910 that the first conven
tion was held in Chicago and the na
tional association formed. At this
convention Chtsley R. Perry was
elected secre'ary and he continues to
hold this of.ke at the "esent time.
Rotary emerged from a national or
ganization to an international organ
ization two years later at the Duluth
convention. A short time previous to
this convention a club had been oran
ized at Winnipeg, Canada, and dur
ing the convention a cablegram was
received from the Rotary Club of
London, England, asking for a char
ter. Rotary had thus auicklv evolv
ed from one club in 1905 to an inter
national organization in 1912.
Since 1912 the organization has
grown even more rapidly than during
the first seven years. Today there
are more than one thousand Rotary
Clubs in the world. Although the
greater number are in the United
States, where the movement origina
ted, there are now Rotary Clubs in
Cannda. Newfoundland. Great Brit
ain and Ireland, Cuba, South Amer
ica the Republic of Panama, China,
India, Australia, and New Zealand.
The growth seems all the more re
markable when we realize that the
organization has never at anv time
emnloyed paid organizers. And in
addition, extreme care has always
been exercised in surveying cities and
towns applying for membership to
make sure that such communities are
ready for a Rotary Club and are of
sufficient size from which to secure
a membership of representative men
end still have the membership re
stricted to one man from each busi
ness or profession.
Card of Thanks From Mr. Wright
I have not words to express the
eratltudo that I feel for the people of
Wlngate. and especially the Ladies
Circl", for the kindness and sympa
thy shown me and my family during
the recent affliction and death In my
rnmliy. May a kind Providence re
ward each and every one of you Is
my prayer. E. B. Wright. Wlngate.
Mr. J. H. Wcddington. postmaster
at Charlotte, died Wednesday, aged
76 years. He had been a prominent
figure in Mecklenburg life for many
years and was well-known to many
union county people.
He Was Married
Judge: (to the colored defender)
"Have you ever been In trouble
before?"
Defendant: "Yessan Jedge, I'se a
married man."
WRITES VIVIDLY
THEATRE WRECK
Young Lady of Monroe Living
in Washington Was on the
Scene of Disaster
HORRORS CANNOT BE TOLD
Frequent Attendant at the Theatre
Eut Was Hindered from Co'ng
on the Fatal Evening
A young lady of Momoe who has
been living In Washington some time
has wriuen a personal letter here
describing the fearful scene when the
Knickerbocker Theatre in Washing
ton collapsed and killed more than
a hundred people. The letter was
not intended for publication, but the
following interesting extracts are
made therefrom, because they give a
more intimate and detailed view of
the fearful event than could be given
in the ordinary press dispatches. The
quotations are as follows:
It was the most gruesomely horrl-.
ble thing that I have ever come in
contact with and I've thanked God
every, minute since that I was simply
providentially kept away. I go to
that theatre on an average of two or
three times a week and had been a
few nights previous. It has been
brought so horribly close to me for
that very reason that among its cli
entele, I know so many and among
those) that were killed were over a
dozen that I knew either by Intimate
association or thru mutual friends.
I sent you several papers by or thru
which you could get some concep
tion of the horror, but even the sen
sational wrlteups, even the graphic
descriptions given, do not convey to
anyone the worst part of it. Strong
men, officers and doctors who went
thru the hell of France, fainted dead
away at suddenly coming upon the
beheaded bodies of young women Bit
ting up in chairs or upon a mutilated
and mangled form clasped in the
arms of a wife or husband. There
are no words that can describe the
agony, the fear, the gruesomeness, or
the bravery displayed at that scene.
People stood around for blocks, hush
ed and silent with bated breath as
file after file of soldiers went by with
stretchers covered with gray army
blankets with only a lump of some,
thing underneath which told all of us
its mmgled and crushed story. I have
read everything that has been writ
ten t the papers and I have read
nothing that depicted the horrors I
witnessed for I was there.
Hnpicned not to Go That Night
We were having a dance at our
house that evening (the only thing
that possibly kept some of our fami
ly of thirty.one girls from being
there.) As Boon as it happened and
the call went around for doctors, two
who were at our dance hurried up
Immediately. Another girl and 1
rushed up stairs, changed from our
evening clothes into sport clothes
and heavy shoes and rushed up to
the theatre on the back of a paper
delivery wagon. On account of the
heavy, heavy snow, no cars, taxi9 or
anything could be gotten,... nothing
except these Ford delivery wagons
carrying papers around were on the
unfrequented streets. When we got
there everything was still unorgani
zed and the rescue work was hinder
ed because of the lack of things with
which to clear the wreckage. And in
side and under all of this mass of
concrete and steel lay over three hun
dred people.
In the candy shop next to the the.
atre first aid was being administered
to those slightly hurt and who had
managed to get out. The first sight
of horror that met my eyes was a
sheet tied together being carried out
and over to the Impromptu morgue
and hospital, the Christian Science
church, mute testimony of the
crushed form within too mangled
and anibilated to be gotten on a
stretcher. And then, soon after the
acetylene torches could be gotten
from the navy yard and the steel
network could be burned thru to the
victims pinned and crushed under
neath, the ambulances and stretches
and workers were kept busy every
minute. There were willing and eager
workers on every hand desirous of
doing something to help, but as soon
as the rescue forces could be organ.
ized, we civilians were kept out and
only uniforms and doctors and nurs
es were allowed. I stayed up there
until three o'clock Sunday morning
and when I left, there hud been only
six or eight gotten out after six
hours (so I was told by officers.)
Brave Hoy lioosew His Miiid
One of the men killed was engag
ed to a girl here at our house and
was among the first taken out. lie
was to have been at the dance but
something happened and he and an
other boy went up to see 'Gct-
Rich-Quick-Wallingford." Peters, the
boy who went with him, heard the
hissing and cracking and cried out
Duck, Doc, get under your seat."
As Doc went to dive under his cuff
caught on the arm of the seat and
before he could get aloose a piece;
of concrete hit his back. Injuring his
spine and knocking him senseless.
Peters managed to crawl to an erlt
and after finding he could get thru,
went back, and dragged Doc out. He
them went 'back for the two women
who had been sitting In front of them
and dragged them out, half dragging
and halt carrying them. As he came
out tho last time with the second
woman, the exit thru which ho had
Continued on Page Eight
MRS. BLAKENEY DIED
YESTERDAY MORNING
One of the Most Respected Women
of Monroe passes Away With
out Apparent Suffering
Mrs. Sallie Blakeney died at her
home on Washington street early
yesterday morning. She had not been
real well but no alarm was felt about
her. Late' the evening before her
daughter had been to her room to in
quire how she was feeling before re
tiring and was assured by her moth
er that she was all right. About
seven o'clock next morning her son,
Mr. Frank Blakeney, went to her
room to make her morning fire and
discovered that she had died peace
fully but a few minutes before.
Ihe funeral services were held from
the residence at eleven o'clock this
morning by Dr. Weaver of Central
Methodist church, of which Mrs.
Blakeney was a member, and the in-
teraicnt was in the Monroe cemetery.
Ihe tuneral was largely attended by
friends from Anson as well as from
Monroe and the floral offerings were
many and beautiful.
Mr 3. Blakeney is survived by three
children, Mrs. May Meacham and Mr.
rrank Ulakeney, who made their
home with her, and M. Bennett
Blakeney of Spruce Pine, also by two
grandsons, and two nieces and a neph
ew, Mrs. V. D. Sikes, Mrs. E. S.
Greene, and Dr. Bennett Gaddy, to
alf of whom she was very dear. Her
husband, Mr. J. C. Blakeney, died
several years ago.
The deceased was a member of the
prominent Bennett family of Anson
county and was educated at Anson-
ville College. Mr. Blakeney, who was
a native or Chesterfield county, ran
a mercantile business in Anson and
there they were married, moving to
Monroe in 1873. They purchased and
occupied the house on Washington
street in which they both died. Mr.
Blakeney was engaged in merchan
dising in Monroe many ears.
Mrs. Blakeney was a most lovable
woman, one was loved because she
loved others. On the most intimate
terms with all her neighbors, no one
of them ever heard her utter an un
kind word about any person. She
kept her mind fresh and bright as in
youth and took an interest in every
body about her, especially the young
and her old friends. She always took
tho youthful view of life and was as
cheerful and happy and thoughtful
in old age as in youth. Two or three
weeks ago she attended the Union
service at the Lutheran church at
night and greeted and noticed her
friends and acquaintances as happily
as could be.
SuK-Hr Court Adjourned Venterday.
The spring term of criminal court
adjourned yesterday. In addition to
the cases reported in Tuesday's
issue of The Journal as having been
disposed of are the following:
Zeb Smith, breaking and entering
and carrying concealed weapons, 13
mouths on road.
Press II insuit and Cy Mullis, as
sault and battery, costs.
Perry Dillard, assault, 30 days on
roads.
John Williams, keeping liquor,
$50.00 and costs.
Center Gibson, assault and battery,
$10.00 and costs..
Anderson Hasty, abondoniuent,
not guilty.
Robt. Rice, breaking and entering,
15 months on roads.
K. H. Cox, blockading, not guilty.
M. T. Taylor, embezzlement, not
guilty
Willie Sturdivant, carrying con
cealed weapons, $50.00 and costs
Neal Usher, false pretense, costs.
It appearing to the court that he hud
paid the prosecutor the money ob
tained. F. A. Laney, false pretense sen
tence, not passed.
Charlie Massey and Harrison Mas.
sey, keeping liquor, Charlie not
guilty; Harrison guilty of receiving,
costs.
Dewey Long, disposing of mort
gaged property, not guilty.
Emma McCain, assault and bat.
tcry, costs.
Raymond Harrell, removing crops,
costs.
The grand jury recommended that
steam heat be Installed in the court
house and roof of building be patch
ed. Also that a Judge's desk be pro
vided. It also recommended that the
roof on county home be repaired and
electric lighU Installed in the chimin
gang camp.
Ih-nth of Mrs. It. F. (Julleilge
Mrs. H. F. Gulledge died yesterday
at noon of heart trouble. She lived
with her nephew, Mr. Paul Curlee, on
East Franklin street.
Mrs. Gullcdge was 76 ears of aae
find was the widow of the late B. F.
Gulled go of Anson county.nnd daugh
ter of the '.ate Clem Curlee of East
Monro township. She is survived
bv two sisters. Mrs. T. M. Newsome
of Monroe and Mis. Edna Llngle of
Charlotte.
Deceased was an excellent woman,
member of Peep Creek Baptist
church, Anson county.
Funeral services were conducted
this afternoon at 4 o'clock by Dr. C.
Weaver and the Interment was in
the Monroe cemetery.
Bus Servico to Charlotte Twice Daily
Ihe Blue bus Line, a company in
corporated in Charlotte, has put on
b doable daily service between Mon
roe and Charlotte. They have a good
bus and will make the trip at present
in an hour and twenty minutes, from
the Central Hotel in Charlotte to the
Joffre in Monroe. The schedule is
given elsewhere. This will be a con
siderable convenience.
THE REAL PURPOSE
OF THE CONFERENCE
President Harding Had in Mind
the Question of Arms and
World Conditions
TWO - FOLD ADJUSTMENT
Naval Competition Eliminated Brit
ain for First Time in History
Consents to Equal Strength
1 1 y Frank H, SIiiuimihIh
Washington, Feb. 1. While cer
tain minor details remain to be ad
justed and anofher plenary session
will le needed to close up the con.
ference, the session of today in real
ity terminated the work and there,
fore cal'.s for some preliminary ex
aminations of the tasks accomplished
and the success or failure of the con
ference itself, viewed in the light of
what had been expected.
What, after all, was the main pur
pose of the Washington conference?
It was two-fold. In summoning the
representatives of the various na
tions President Harding had in mind
two distinct sets of problems. There
was the immediate question of arms
and policies in the Pacific affecting
the United Stales directly; there was
in additiou the question of the world
conditions as affected by the world
armaments.
To deal with the first question,
there was in the Pacific an unmis
takable rivalry growing up between
Japan and the United States , an
antagonism which expressed itself
alike in increasing naval armament
and in growing tension. This situa
tion was, moreover, accentuated by
the existence of an Anglo-Japanese
alliance.- Allied to it, too, was the
problem of Anglo-American naval
competition, only indirectly related
to the fortunes of the Pacific. Since
these problems could not be separat
ed, a' single settlement has to be
found.
Four-Power Treaty
What then is the solution? First
of all, we have, a is logical, ar
ilved aj a political adjustment, a
two-fold political adjustment. By
a four-power treaty, France being
included at the request of Mr.
Hughes, we have agreed with Brit,
ain and with Japan to respect terri
torial rights throughout the region
of the Pacific ocean and to confer
In case of differences between any
of the four powers or in case of
differences between one of the four
powers and another nation not sig
natory to the treaty. In the sec.
ond place, and relying upon this
guarantee of mutual -respect, the
United States has conseuted to re
nounce the right to fortify all Its
insular possessions west of Hawaii,
including the Aleution islands, Guam,
the Philippines and Samoa.
This means in fact that the United
States has retired Its naval frontier
to the longitude of Hawaii, but our
sacrifice is accompanied by similar,
it not quite as considerable, con.
cessions on tho part of Japan and
Great Britain and is based upon
the treaty of guarantee which I
have already mentioned.
In addition we have agreed with
the other two Pacific powers to a
relative strength of battleships, that
is in fighting fleets, which eliminates
all present competition in that arm,
which at the moment represents the
weapon of offense. Thus we have
eliminated the element of naval com
petition, not alone between Japan
and the United States but also be.
tween ourselves, and Britain for the
first time in her history has consent
ed to recognize equality of fighting
strength in another great power.
France and Italy on their part have
also accepted ratios which corres.
pond with their present strength.
In Bum, then we have achieved in
naval strength and insular posses
sions a stable balance not alone
in the Pacnfic but also in the At.
Inntic, so far as offensive wnrships
are concerned. We have achieved
this by resignations which we an
nounced In advance we were prepar
ed to make, both In actual ship ton
age and ilk' lit s to fortify. And this
result Is written Into those treaties
which have been described as the
four-power and flve-power pacts.
Target vt Crlthlsm
Criticism in the United States so
far has been concentrated upon the
four-power treaty exclusively and
upon t!at portion of the treaty
which iivmed to carry with it com
mitments vvith respect to France,
Japan ar.d Great Britain in grant
in,: ijuertlons. Cn this issue much
debate in the senate is promised
and many rest rv.i ions are proposed,
but if one accept the statement
made by negotiators them
selves-, tun; the treaty carries no
stub o!)'r;.;j!ioiR, and If one con
ceive tlifit us it finally emerges from
the senate it wHl be fortified in thl3
respect, then it is quite plain that
by conference we have abolished
peril in the Pacific without going be.
yoii'.l the limit Imposed by our own
traditions.
In so far as naval armament ii
concerned, the failure of the con
ference, and the failure is net
chargeable to American represent.-,
tives, covers all lines of war cra't
save only battleships. The slmpl i
fact has been that it was not poss .
ble for France and Great Britai t
in advance of this conference O
reach such a political adjustment
as we have ourselves reached wlO
Continued on Pare Eigtt