USVI Public Records

Document text

the next few vears. He considered it advisable thata large number of older vessels and inferior ones, built for emer- gency during the wa., should be scrap- ped. If the Govts. represented at this conference would resolve to abolish even half the present restrictions on trade and commerce, in his opinion there would be employment for a larger num- ber of steamers than now and unem- ployment would be reduced. Washington, Nov. 24th.—M. Briand, head of the French armament delegation, accompanied by Ambassador Jusserand paid a farewell call upon President Hard- ing yesterday, as did Earl Beatty of the British delegation. London, Nov. 24th. —A central news despatch from Rome says the newspa- per Tempo has published an interview with Cardinal Gasparri, the Papal Secre- tary of State, whe is quoted as having asserted that the Pope is ready for a reconciliation with Italy. London Nov. 24th.—Mr. Lloyd George who probably will be accompanied by Lord Birkenhead is scheduled to meet Sir James Craig tomorrow morning in what may be the last effort to induce him, as Premier of Ulster, to discuss alternative plans devised to protect Ul- ster’s interest in the proposed all-Treland Parliament which the Northern dele- gates thus far have refusaed to even con- sider formally. Meanwhile, Arthur Grif- fith, Chief of the Sinn Fein delegation, for the first time since the Irish cenfer- ence opened in October, went to Dublin tonight to consult wich De Valera, Duffy and Robt. C. Barton, his delegation col- leagues. This visit to Dubiin is under- stood to be a result of discussions dur- ing the past few days between the Sinn Feiner and membe’s of the Cabi- net, at which Mr. Griffith and his colleagues are said to have made clear that they could not agree to swear allegiance to the British Crown, their idea of association with the State cf thes British Empire being by treaty as would be the case with foreign pow- ers. On Tuesday the Ulster Premier will submit to his Parliament the reas- ons urged by the Prime Minister why Ulster should consent to treat with the Sinn Fein. It is expected that he will ask Mr. Lloyd George to facilitate full consideration of Ulsters case by publish- ing the whole correspondence exchanged thus far, so that~Ulster may see the real state of the mnegotiations, but the discus- sions with the Sinn Fein have, by the desire of the Govt. proceeded on condi- tion of the corre-pondence is not ex- pected until an agreement or disagree- ment is finally reached The Irish Lib- eral Federation, an organization in which the former Premier Mr. Asquith is inter- ested, at its annual meeting :oday passed a resolution supporting Dominion Home Rule for Ireland, suggesting that Parlia- ment should l‘asked to endorse this pol- icy’and rec® ing its conviction thatif 51 LU 12 A VI the conference fails, there will be no re- turn to the policy of force. Tokio, Nov, 25.—Crown Prince Hirohi- to has beeen designated regent of Japan. London, Nov. 24th.—One of the most out spoken warnings ever addressed by the Foreign Minister of onz Nation, to another friendly nation was delivered publicly today at a luncheon by Lord Curzon of Kedleston, to France. The Foreign Minister declared that if France pursued an isolated policy she would not in the long run injure Germany and would fail to protect herself. It was warping, if anything in plainer terms than a similar speech delivered by Mr. Lloyd George last May. at the time when France was proceeding to the occupation of Germany’s Ruhr towns, which caused such a tremendous sensation. Lord Curzon’s address was addressed primari- ly to the Washington conference on limi- tation of armaments and Far Eastern questions, but it was clearly an intima tion to France of the effect of that coun- try’s attitude towards disarmament. It 1s also applied with equal force to the French policy in the Far East. ‘‘Peace will never be acheived”’, said Lord Cur- zon, '‘if anyone powerful tries to steal on another, and conclude an arrange- ment on its own account’’. The Foreign Minister bluntly reminded France that her safety lay notin her own strength but in the confidence of the World and he cautioned France that she could not succeed by a revengeful policy towards Germany, or be permitted by isolated action to frustrate the work of the na- tions at Washington. The speech, which occupied only half an hour in delivery, but was filled with striking matter, was remarkable for the expressed determina- tion to bring Germany, into the com- munity es Nations and for its enuacia- tion of Great Britain’s duty in the new world which succeeded the War. After saying that the Great Powers would assist Germany provided she showed sincerity, Lord Curzon added. ‘‘Solong as Great Britain, France and Itaiy hold together, I am hopeful of this result’’. Alluding to the new st ug- gling nations which have arisen from the ashes of Germany, Austria and Turkey, Lord Cuvzon said. W=z as one of the Great Powers are largely responsible for the creation of these new nations, therefore it devolves upon us to do our best to cure their rivalry, help their progress a~d make them instruments, not of renewed disturbance and war- fare, but of future peace. The real strength and protection of ¥rance, con- tinued Lord Curzon, ‘‘does not consist in tne strength of her arms, potent as they are. [t do~s not consist in the inexhaus- tible spirit of her people. It does not consist even in the justice of her cau:e, It consists in th2 fact that the ccnscience of the World and the combined physical forezs of the World, and in them inelude the greatest powers of Europe, and the United States, will not tolerate the re- appearance in the heart of Europe of a great and dangerous power that was rat- tling its sword in the scabbari as a men- ace to the peace of the World’”’. We shoulc. convert Germany intoa peaceful member of the International Court of Europe only if the Great Powers combine not only to enforce the treaty, but to make it clear that no policy of retaliation or revenge will be tolerated by them and that they will assist Germany to play her part provided she shows sincerity and good faith’’. Lord Curzof had pre- viously said that no one would deny that the steps taken at Washington marked a great and notable stride forward in the moral progress of mankind. The sole guarantee of the recovery of the peace of the world, he declared, was not the old idea of the splendid isolation of any individual power, but harmonious fruitful cooperation of all powers: Dis- armament enters the field of practical politics when a definite limit is placed upon the size of the navies of ecertain great powers, said Lord Curzon,”” and still more when one of these powers comes forward and announces to the world that disarmament shall begin in her case by stopping construction on ships which already had been commenced It fell to the lot of the Secretary of State of the United States to give the lead and it fell to the lot of our representa- tive, Mr. Balfour, to follow it. Allhonour to thos: two men. But do not suppose that the matter is ended there. A great deal of hard work remains still to be ac- complished and I would like to utter one word of caution and to suggest certain conditions which still remain to be ful- filled. It is no use reducimg armaments at sea, if we are still to contemplate the piling up or accumulation of vast arma- ments on land. An example must not be set by one nation only, or even by two or three. It must be followed in pro- portion to their position and their ability by all. It is not for Great Britain to accept or submit to sacrifices, while others pass them by. A third condition is that if we who are the greatest naval power in the world, whose sea com- munications are the longest in the World, who have to defend coasts infinitel> loiger and more exposed than any other Empire in the World, who are dependent for our daily exist- ence as a nation on the command of the seas, if we are wiliing to re- duce our naval strengih et no other powers be allowed to bhuild up odher en- gines or insiruments of atiack eitherp in the air or under the sea, which may tender our sacrificcs pugotory and which so far from leaving us in the proud position of hoving set an example may leave us in the perilous position of having incurred an undue risk. These are the sole precautions :nd conditions that I would like to attach tothe proceedings 2¢ Washingtoen,