Down Expenses dinner, of the American University Club, on February 28, in the American Club, was attended by a large number of members, the guests of honour being the Consuls-General of the nations particularly interested in the Naval Conference vow going on in London. The! speaker of the evening was Dr. Herbert Adams Gibbons, In the course of his address, the speaker said:—
"Ever since the World War, too much attention has been paid to the igealistie aspect of the disarmafient question and far too little to vraetical aspect. Not by any means are all of those who have proclaimed the advent of genuine world peace through disarmament to be classed as idealists. Some are practical politicians, who have seized upon an issue that appeals te the sentimentalist and the taxpayer to further their own interests and ambitions. Others men, wholly cynic attainment of any tangible results, who see in the issue an excellent weapon if adroitly used. It is no secret that some eminent particupants in the Washington and Geneva Conferences and in the Tresent London Conference are without illusion as to the possitive armament and of trusting, to goodwill and international operation in maintaining—world peace. All nations want to cut down their expenses, and those who head their Governments are more than willing—they are eager—to lessen the burden of armaments, provided the country they represent fs not put in a disadvantageous position by so doin "Sentimentalists and enthusiasts are always with us. We do not mean to impugn their sincerity, but rather their knowledge of history, and world politics, when we com-Fare them to quack doctors and patent-medicine makers. They regard disarmament as the cure for war. Tt is a panacea, like the League of Nations, and like the League of Nations. it has become a fetish, a kind of religion, Se the advocacy of!
ie reduction in expenditures for armies and navies have these ood people become that they do of want to listen either to naval and military experts or to students of international relations. They have found the magic formula, and whoever expresses a doubt of its efficacy is an enemy of peace.
"The delegations at present conferring in London on the further limitation of naval armaments are composed of able men, surrounded ty staffs of competent experts. They ore dealing with an exceedingly complicated. problem, with many ramifications. They are reasonable and fair-minded men, make tangible progress in the pro-Feduction of armaments. powers in the countries which they represent. Their sense of responsibility prevents them from being carried away. by their quixotic desire to hasten the era of world peace through the surrender of their own particular country's. interests. which all of us we see it reflected by the assuming that what our wu particular nation is willing to do constitutes an honest sacrifice, while the other fellow's contention is preposterous and blocks the path) to genuine disarmament.
"The five nations assembled at London are unanimous in proelai ing their intention to preserve the peace of the world. None of them can be accused at the present time of being aggressive.
Dr. Gibbons went on to give the! attitude of each participant in general towards the proposals put forth: at the Conference, and in particular toward different cata-gories of naval craft. He spoke of fixing the ratios, the difference Letiveen global tonnage and tonnage by categories, the proposals to abolish certain categories altogether, und the revival of the suggestion that maritime laws be codified. - He pointed out the further complications. arising from naval armaments ° in relation to the peculiar. colonial needs and
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.