It is only a short time until the conference from which peace and disarmament are expected. The world will be looking to Washington during the coming weeks to see whether the star will rise there that will announce the happy news that permanent peace is born and that the time has come when people will be able to devote all their efforts to self-improvement and the pursuit of happiness. But those who have such hopes will probably be badly disappointed. There will be many speeches in Washington--perhaps most beautiful speeches--many resolutions will be passed--also beautiful ones but all that will have no effect upon the development of future world events. Europe will continue to resemble a huge military camp. The United States will go on with her preparations for the final clash with Japan in the matter of interests in the Far East. In other words, things will remain as they have been. The League of Nations cannot bring about peace in Europe, cannot regulate conditions there, and what the League is unable to do will not be achieved by the Washington conference in spite of the fact that the United States, in the position of world 2creditor, is more powerful than the League itself. The best the United States can hope for is that many promises will be made, but it will again learn that promises mean nothing at all, not only in the life of individuals but also in the life of nations, and that nations also do only that to which they are compelled by physical force.