ENGLAND'S OFFER

Since the opening of the League of Nations session at Geneva, there has been much debating on the question of international disarmament, during the course of which many theories, both practical and impractical, have been promulgated. But while suggestions were plentiful, no nation or group of nations offered to take the initial step toward carrying them out, and for a time it seemed as if the whole subject would and in mere talk.

There has recently been provided, however, a practicable basis of fact upon which to build: Great Britain has unofficially announced to Republican leaders in Congress that she is at last willing to surrender her historic position as Mistress of the Seas, and will agree to limit her naval program to a point where her navy would be precisely-equal in power to that of the United States. Pressed as she is by her economic and taxation problems, and already heavily burdened with debt, she is even eager for the discussion of a "naval holiday."

Great Britain's proposal is compelling. It is not to be supposed that the other nations of the world are more fortunate as regards economic resiliency that is that compact little island; none of them can safely afford to place much more strain upon their already overburdened resources; rather would it be better could they remove some of their present expenses. A general curtailment of navies and naval programs offers just such an opportunity, besides materially advancing the prospects of a world peace.

A return to the pre war race for naval supremacy would not only be costly at a time when cost is a major consideration, but would eventually defeat the very purposes of the war by bringing about a return of the "tooth and claw" theory of existence. England's offer may not be the best plan for securing a "naval holiday," but at least it is an offer which is backed by a willingness to act instead of talk. As such, it may hope to merit the best of Congressional attention.