Letters to the Editor
THE NAVAL CONFERENCE
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.]
SIR,—Still the Naval Conference goes on. Slowly but surely, I am told on good authority. Maybe. But I cannot but feel, and must say, that the very fact of its protractedness renders its outcome dubious. The more it will have of success,the greater its stamp of real failure. Already the spirit has vanished
in the welter of arithmetic. Reduction of tonnage in itself cannot mean conversion of the war attitude. Quantity has no direct relation to purpose.
The only logical position is that taken by France. It is not prudent or practical or necessary, but it is logical—security before disarmament. Only France's conception of security is all her own. Why not leave her to get around in due course to the general conception ? War is impossible with Public Opinion set as it is. England realizes it. So does America. Now, these two nations originally came to an understanding. Japan was pretty certain to fall in line. Courtesy demanded that an invitation be extended to France and Italy to participate. But why allow the invitation to degenerate into a solicitation ? A Three-Power solid Treaty would make the Conference a moral success, while a Five-Power diluted Treaty will make it a make-believe success.—I am; Sir, &c.,
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