New-York tribune., 1920-12-15
Truce Reached
La Fight Over
German Cables
Provisional Agreement Pro-
vides for Operation as at
Present, but for Financial
Account of Five Powers

WASHINGTON, Dec 14-Sessions of
the international Communications Con-
ference, threatened by disruption sew
eral days ago over failure to agree on
disposition of the former German
cables, will continue under modus
vivendi adopted to-day at a plenary
session.
Representatives Of France, Great
Britain and Japan in the mean time will
return home to confer with their gov
ernments relative to the primary ques-
tions at issue, none of which had been
settled at the sessions which began
here October 8. The ambassadors of
the three nations will continue the
negotiations as substitutes for the spe-
cially appointed delegates.
The modus vivendi, as drawn up at
to-day's session and made public by
the State Department tonight, pro-
vides:
That after January / the German
cables seized by Great Britain, France
and Japan during tn war, "shall be
operated as at present hut for the
financial account Of the five powers
(Great Britain. France, Japan, Italy and
the United States), provided, however,
that in accounting for such operations.
the income after deducting operating
expenses, shall be apportioned in ac-
cordance with the final disposition to
be made of such cables.
Pressure Brought Concessions
That should final agreement as to
Il IL |. l.. :
by next February Is, the conference
shall Immediately arrange for new
modus vivend to become effective
or before next March l5
Concessions raking possible to- days
provisional agreement were under
stood to have resulted in large part
from pressure brought to bear in the
conference by Acting Secretary OF
State Davis, who last week obtained
from the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee assurances q, support for
the American del gates contentious.
Tie American and Italian delegations
any adjournment of the conference
without some sort of agreement
basing their objections, it is said, on
the possibility that the other three
powers already in possession of the
disputed cables might protract in
definitely the reconvening of the nego-
tiations.
Zap Disposition Unsettled
Disposition of the island OF Van.
center of cable communication in the
Pacific, for which it has been sug
gested Japan be given the mandate. as
we'll as the settlement Of the principle
insisted upon by the United States of
equal landing rights upon the island
for the cables of all countries. were
questions which were left unsettled bv
the conference. 1t was said TO-DAY
that the eventual disposition of Yap
might be arrived at only by a settle
inent entirely independent of the com.
munications conference and after an
examination of the status of Japan's
title.
The principal other bone of contention
which prevented a settlement at this
time of the disposition of the former
German cables was the refusal Of the
French delegates to admit the claims
of Italy or the United States to the
German transatlantic cable held bv
France connecting New York with
Brest. This the United States and
Italy desire to employ as a direct
means Of communication between the
United States and Italy by the diver
SION aagterp orJ