The Daily News THURSDAY, JULY. 22, THE LIMITATION OF ARMAMENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 151, 22 July 1909, Page 2

The Daily News THURSDAY, JULY. 22, THE LIMITATION OF ARMAMENTS.

Air. Carnegie is a very sincere and ii uustrious champion of peace. Ho woul 'ilce to sec the monstrously expensiv oinpetition in armaments, iwhie hi'eateiis to weigh clown the civilise vorld under 'burdens greater than i an bear, ended once for all. So woul ve all. The only question is whethe n the state of the world as we know i mother attempt to limit arniamentsiir Henry Campbell-Baiinerman's hones ittcnipt failed notoriously and hopeless y—would not produce an even greate itate of mistrust and disquiet tha: -xists now. The Spectator thinks i vould. Mr. Carnegie, according to a ntl-rvicw with him published in th joudon Daily Hail, declares, on th ithcr hand, that it is "imbecility" t onsent to the continuance of the nava lompetition. die proposes to reliev he world of this' nuisance. The Spct ator examines the methods by mliic. Ur. Carnegie would try to save us a] 'rom "imbecility," and asks what woul lappen if they were employed. Mi Jaraegic has suggested before now tha in International Conference should b inmmoned for the limitation of armu nents, ,but it is said to have made th ;ew suggestion that it should be sum noned bv the United States. His lea on for thinking that the United State mght to do this is that "neutral na ions cannot remain indifferent to th ictiiou of two rival Powers, which lay mormous iburdens on the rest of th vorld, and threatens war in which al nay lie involved." But does not thi itatcment Ibeg several questions? I ither nations are deeply affected b; he rivalry of Britain and Germany, hov ian they be "neutral"? And if th Jnited States is not neutral, how cai he plead the very qualification for tak ng the lead with which Mr. Carnegi' utifully invests her? So far from mis rust being abated, the Spectator vm: ures to say that a. new mistrust iwo,. , ertainly 'be created by any count: cting in the way Mr. Carnegie suggest.* nd pretending to an impartiality whicl lie may possess ibut cannot prove. Bu st that pass; a way might coneeivahl; o discovered to .bring about what w liould all like if onlr the assumptioi n which Mr. Carnegie's whole proposa 5 Biased were beyond dispute. Is it lis assumption as to the internationa ivalry in shipbuilding (Austria, France nd Italy are all increasing their pro rammes to an extent not drenmed o , year ago) is that "all this is cause. i.V German and British rivalry." Un ortunately, says the Spectator, thi tatcment does not hear examination t names an effect, and ignores the cans .'hieli is the. only thing worth thinkini bout. The naval programmes of th ist few months are not a mere fatuou mitation of those of Germany am Iritain, but the direct result of the de iioralising of Europe by the discover hat pledges given in solemn tVeatie onnt for nothing, For more than [em-ration we had Iboen accustomed t eeept the word of Austria-Hungary a n absolute guarantee that she wool ii mi what she undertook and abide b .'hat she promised. She was our beaii ileal of a Continental State. Xow w :no\v /that a treaty, which is intende. o bind all its signatories till it is rt laced by another, may be disregarde s though it did not exist. While tha ! so. nations must rely entirely upoi orce to defend themselves and preserve heir rights. There is no longer, in the

M sense, any public law under which hey lived with a feeling of security, 'lie essential meaning of Mr. Carnegie's ssumption is this, that agreements lieween the Powers as to the limitati.m >f armaments might be safely accepted is inviolable. If .Mr. Carnegie did not :clieve that, his scheme would not mean mything. But we absolutely deny the truth, even the sanity, of 'that belief. Jnd we are convinced -that nearly evenone wlio lias studied European" events s ncc the Turkish Revolution must agree with us. Mr. Carnegie's assumptions do not end. there. He assumes that "the United States is the greatest industrial and most peaceful nation," and is, as such, entitled to lead the way in reenn(ilhig the peoples. But if this is to be the understanding, will it placate, say, the (ierman Emperor? We suppose that the Emperor would assert some claim to consideration as the most peaceful monarch. Anyhow, we cannot think that the implication that the less peacefill and move imbecile nations are being iecnlled to their senses by a. saner and moil! peaceful nation would put the Ijinperor and his advisers in precisely the frame of mind which the Conference would require. When Mr. Carnegie conies to the summoning of the' Conference lie • says:"The first duty is to discover what nation, f! any. is at fault-on which nation must rest the responsibility of menacimthe peace of the world, 'if any p 0 wci Or Powers should refuse to accept tin invitation to meet in friendly confer ence, it would ibc clear whore the re sponsiibility rested. Jf such were convened and anv Power refuse, >o enter the leagjie of "peace, to .siibmi to arbitration ail questions arisiii" i future on sea, and to agree that urivat , property shall be immune on *ea as -,oi ' <; " '""'I, then also it mould be cica I "here the blame must rest for continn mg the present intolerable conditio-,,, ere I say, is a probable way out (, : , ,; I !J".i" ,, ' S 7 1 " 1 ' 11 t, "" l ' lt '' n «vilisatio ■l-elf.' Ihe .Spectator says: "We shout snv, rather, that here is a way to plan.. | deeper i,it o our dangers. What wo„l, he the ellect on a nation which wa I found -at fault"; 0 f course it wouh not .believe itself at fault. It wouh V ,, " ! ' lv llllnk t'"' l it »ns being bullic, bv -I group of conspirators. One hesi tales to express in Dreadnoughts th kmd of answer with -which an angr eountry would make known its deflanc or its alarm. But let u s suppose tin almost impossible-let us suppose limit nlio.i agreed upon. What maehiner would tlicicbo to exact due observanc "f the undertakings? Unless we al trusted DI)C . mo , thei . a:l)so)utrfVj x should have to watch one another Ven Ca T, W Wlmt does Ml '- Gu-negie su» ge>t. Would, spying upon another b, cou,,dered good form, or part of th necessary apparatus for the cultivate of international confidence? Evasion ot the understanding might easily 'b reconciled with the letter of the law ?, i,..;.....,! that Prussi; .'houhllim, her army to a fixed numhe ot men. she simply created a short sen ire system and passed her yonn; men quickly through it, She did no a?,', , ",*, I"' 1 '' 1 ' 1 '' 110 ' 1 "'""lier, bnl I links to the reserve she provided, sh M.l a larger army than ever. We'.fea that insisting upon (he limitation o : ,"""""" ls '" "1 ilern world iiibrh ;»' a very forcible operation." fh .•>ii(-»-lat<i|- is contirmed in that opinio >v s(,n,e later words of Air. Carne-i .. i.le ord. and quotes f r t)l( , 0il 7; ;„, • Mr ;. l -'"' ni ' sre Si,ill '"-' was a », -i"i" '" '"", 0W " llli " d UM "* da «0h i come when international dispute would be settled .by arbitration as I, was that | he sun shone. -But,' he addec ij llieie is to be any fighting. I am "el ;ing into (he mood of thinking-if ther " ,1 " >". v <-rmn- of tho kind foitimittf "'■are going to have a word to sa ""out it. and if we say there is to b' I'e-i'e and any uthor vicious .f,,e Sllv ', ~N I", 11 " "'■'"•-■ "'en it will,be a 1,„, •■ay l«r Ihcui.'" Ah, these hailbinger ■ l "' :l ,'' < ''., ? w '''' ! "'- v tl,e - v arc lo '' fi ß !l ike devils for conciliation"! (exclaim the Spectator). Mr. Carnegie, if sulF T!l 'j 1 ; 1 ' 1 ""'' 1 V the "i ,ecility" o the mord, would call on the, Unite , .-! V f ','"'■ !'° re ™ sl "'t natio < ii inch stands in the way of the mil Wi,"h"",T A '"> <™" it with W ] la i W ith the navy which Mr. Carnegie ha aigired against with so much eloquence and population will not cocre any one. A fleet alone can d„ , 0 I lias » te„ been remarked that talk o arbitration generally ends in talk o