The St. Johns herald., 1921-12-22
PLEDGE AGAINST WAR OVER PA cIFIc MATTERS-To HAVE
 COOLING OFF PERIOD"
TONE OF OPTIMISM
FAR EAST PROBLEMS AND NAVAL RATIOS MAY BE WORKED
 OUT TOGETHER.
(wsstern Newspaper Union News s.ric.)

(Western Newspaper Union News Seuics)
 Washington.-A mutual pledge not to go to war over disputes in the Pacific without a cooling off period of discussion is the basis of the new four-power treaty proposed as sub stitute for the Anglo-Japanese alli- ance
 Discussions of the proposals among arms delegates are well advanced, al- though none of the governments con- cerned-the United States, Great Brit ain, Japan and France-have given final approval. A suggestion that the AnglO-Japanese pact be revoked has gone to London and TOkiO. Possible controversies over the Pacific islands, exclusive of the Hawaiian group and Yap, would come under the new agree ment. Yap is to be the subject of separate treaty, negotiations for which are nearing completion, and Hawaii is to be considered paft of the American mainland.
 Problems of China or other portions of the Asiatic mainland are not to be touched by the proposed treaty, nor will it contain provisions relating to Pacific Qualifications or the naval re- duction program. It is possible, how ever, that all of these questions may come simultaneously to the point of decision. By the American delegates, the project is regarded as establishing neither an alliance nor an entente, but merely applying to the Pacific islands the principle of the thirty-Odd Bryan peace treaties to which the United States is a party A public statement setting forth that position probably will be made in the near future by Secretary Hughes.
 For the present, the authorized American spokesmen prefer to say nothing about their conversations which have been proceeding behind the curtain of executive sessions" Apparently, the negotiations have been kept within a narrow circle cen tering in the "big three"-Hughes, Balfour and Kato.
 An evidence of optimism with which high American officials view the gen eral situation in the conference was given by President Harding, who de- clared in an address that the negOtia- tions promised to succeed beyond our fondest hopes" He predicted that the conference would usher in a new day in international amity.
 All outward indications point to merging of the Pacific questions with the naval ratio problem so far as the final decisions of some foreign nations are concerned. No reply from TokiO regarding the naval plan is expected until the Japanese government is ready to make some expression on the four power proposal. It is possible that in the final analysis, the questions of Shantung and China generally may also become interwoven in the general scheme before a definite settlement Is reached.
 Thus, it would not surprise close Ob servers if the whole range of contro- versies were gathered under one un- derstanding, to be transplanted then into several formal instruments of agreement.
 Both Japanese and Chinese reflected optimism over the Shantung negotia- tions after another meeting in which Japan offered to give up the public property in the leased territory of Kia- ochow as another step toward meeting Chinese position.