Peacemakers—Blessed and Otherwise / Observations, Reflections and Irritations at an International Conference

A series of observations, reflections, and occasional irritations recorded during an international conference on limitation of armaments and related Far Eastern issues. The writer alternates pre-conference hopes and skepticism with on-the-spot commentary about naval and land limitation proposals, rules for new weapons, and regional problems involving China, Siberia, and mandated islands. Portraits of delegations, diplomatic moods, procedural drama, and assessments of national attitudes illustrate the tension between idealistic aspirations for reduced armaments and the practical constraints of negotiation. The work closes by weighing the conference's modest achievements against the larger difficulties of translating disarmament into durable policy.