Calm

(British Commonwealth of Nations)

In an address before the Southern Society at Washington, U. S. capital, Sir Esme Howard, British Ambassador to the U. S., found an opportunity to reply to the charges made by W. B. Shearer, Manhattan naval expert, to the effect that Britain and other Powers had not carried out the terms of the Limitation of Armaments Treaty (TIME, Nov. 24, Dec. 1). Said he: "Now there is one small point about which, if I may, I should like to say a few words tonight. Many of the Southern states have a maritime seaboard--everything therefore referring to naval matters must be of especial interest to them. Now we have recently seen a good deal of publicity given to statements that the British Government were not carrying out their obligations under the Washington Treaty for the limitation of naval armaments of 1921.

"Now I do not myself attach any importance to these statements and any criticisms that may have been made based on them do not in any way upset my equanimity. I have a philosophy of my own about such matters which has long stood me in good stead. So long as our conscience is clear, so long as we know that we have done nothing to besmirch our honor, our honor is safe. Nothing that any one else can say can touch it and therefore nothing that others can say or do need really trouble us greatly, provided we really have a clear conscience.

"This being the case, as regards this matter I feel that the British Government need not mind greatly what is said. But in order that you gentlemen who live near the seashore may not think it necessary for the safety of your families to purchase far inland, because perfidious Albion is secretly breaking her engagements and arming contrary to treaty obligations, I will just say this in order to calm any fears you may entertain on the subject.

"The Washington Treaty was signed by the United States of America, France, Italy, Japan and Great Britain. Up to date, the British Government has not received from any of the other signatories of the treaty any protest or observation whatever tending to show that they have the slightest notion that Great Britain is not carrying out her side according to the letter and the spirit. I presume that all these governments cannot have sunk into a condition of coma, nor that they are all completely indifferent to the interests of the countries they govern, so that it was left to a private citizen to make these alarming disclosures.

"For all details with regard to the position, as regards relative numbers of the fleets, I would venture merely to refer any one interested in the matter to Senator Hale's admirably lucid statement, with as many statistical tables as are good for the digestion, which is contained in The Congressional Record of May 23, Vol. 65, No. 138. There you will find the whole position stated with the utmost clearness. I do not need to go to any British source for a fair statement of the position--I am well content to leave the matter in the capable hands of Senator Hale."