The so-called slogan "Pay or Default" is justified by Cor pressmen judging from recent telegrams on the ground that Europe has lamentably failed in the duty of disarmament. The world is asked to. observe a United States of America righteously wrath because wicked Europeans have not. turned their swords into ploughshares. This question arises directly out of the British Note which points out, with an air very like that of detachment, that the payment Of the £30,000,000, due by Great Britain as an instalment of interest and capital under the funding arrangement of the War Debt, would so dislocate. the markets that, while straining British resources to the utmost, it would seriously prejudice American recovery. When therefore Europe accused by is America in this connection of squandering money on armaments and piling up more armaments it is natural to assume that Great Britain is involved. The facts, of course, suggest that it would be more appropria ate to note that, of all nations, the British Commonwealth, has effected a unilateral disarmament on a scale which, to put it mildly, might be considered quixotic, although relief of the taxpayer has played an impor ant part in inspiring that effort. Lord Cecil of Chelwood recently observed:
"we, have ourselves shown @ good example by "lowering ove expenditure on armaments and reducing their "numbers. Most of that reduction hax been due to our own national action, irvempee-Live of what "other, nations "are doing. It. was done mainly owing to pressure of our financial Good congressmen, who are misled by their advisers into be-Heving that Great Britain has done nothing for the disarmer ment movement, are entitled to sympathy. British orities do not seek bouquets for their country. They "know. well that. such tributes are not common, Still ft is necessary" to. press) home this point when it is being made to picture the British debtor. a8 4 suppliant spendthrift wasting hig substance on riotous naval, military and ait armaments.
Reinforcing Lord Cecil's argument quoted above Lord Lloyd, in robuster vein, remarked:
"the policy of internationalism and. pacifigism, while. increasing, our commitments' and liabilities has steadily reduced our power Implement' our obligations," Not skeleton of what fs was before the only is our navy reduced to. War, bat. the army. which. could send abroad. to-day would compare ill even with a small ex: peditionary force of six divisions Which went to France in 1910"
Lord Lloyd had pointed out that the Washington Treaty stood in the way of a policy of smaller and cheaper ships:
"We do not want 40,000. ton battleships or 10,000 ton' cruisers. Gur proposals. which we have tabled' at-Geneva, reduce the size St each of these types of ships types which are essential if a inw {8 to be capable of securing our" food" supplies. and. overseas! rade—by no less than one fud no other proposal from any ther naval Power so tary has gone as far as this in making a Bractca suggestion for bin ug lown, the slee and. cost_of Yemels. without! destroying. their Lord Lloyd agrees with America and not with this journal in rezarding the League of Nations fas an-incubus, The fact that Great Britain has had to spend of a crulser—on her mienibership period of. its existence, strikes. him as a waste of money. So his testimony to the thoroughness of British disarmament has peculiar merit. The figures ans only £1,262,000—or half the cost diagram in the special article published elsewhere to-day throw ivid light on this subject. The Policies of Great Britain may be all that her critics declare. The facts of her defence can hardly be blinked in the light of such authentic statements. Whether the - American Congressmen think that she should pay or default on the debt is immaterial. Tt does seem, however, highly important that their guilelessness should be betrayed by keeping them in ignorance of the drastic and successful efforts made by Great Britain alone of all the Powers to reduce defence spite of the decline in money values~—to a scale actually below that ruling in 1914, Tord Selborne the other was moved by a well-emeanin declaration from Free Chure' leaders on the Disarmament question to make a protest as 'a "firm supporter of the League of Nations." The worthy clergymen had contented themselves with the remark: while 'Brita has done much jo ruta as other nations Mi in the direction of disarmam she hais not yet height of leudershi demanded of he hor pledges to lly: fulfilled by a radical armaments...the Churches "Will hold that' the cause of peace has been betrayed"
A former Civil Lord of the Admiralty, Bank Director and Governor, Lord Selborne could let that pass, Roundly calling ita complete misrepresentation of the facts, he declared "Britain has not only done as munch pre rate ax other nations in the diteetion of disarmament, but she has done far more. She alone is has volunta eryonnd of her Navy and Army to such a point that they are barely sufficient to fulfil the en for which Britain ix ly British residents of Shanghai will he viad te note that Lord Selborne specially mentioned the British garrison here in illustration of the responsibilities in question, Sir John Simon's recent, staterly ut at Geneva and Mr. Stanley Bald remarkable speech in the House of Commons last_ month showed the readiness of Great Britain to ce-operate with other nations in eliminating the wea-Dons of aggression from the armoury. Whether Disarmament fon those lines will further the cause of peace is to many matter of doubt. But there need to rely on prospective measures to establish the absurdity of the view that Great Britain has been a loggatd in disarming. So convinced a supporter of the cause of peace as Mr. Ramsay MacDonald has already declared that the limit of unilateral disarmament has been reached by Great Britain. It is perfectly open to anyone to declare that the British Note should be treated og a magnificent—or not 80 magnificent—piece of special pleading. Some Congressmen evidently hold that view and, perhaps, are sincerely convinced that Amerien would lose by waiver of the instalment due.
It is not open to those who pride themselves on study of the facts to argue that Great Britain has avoided her disarmament obligations. The figures published today are conclusive evidence of the justice of this rebuttal. Great Britain has faithfully and wisely given the League of Nations her whole-hearted support. Financial stringency may have stimulated her reduction of her defence programme. There has also been a real moral stimulus which may, in the long run, be found to be effective because to precept she has strikingly joined fearless example.
EanuteNant W. Mitchell of American Legation Guard, /Peking, will leave the former capital December 21, for America. It uncertain whether he will return to China.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.