The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-08-06
MISCONCEPTION IN
 BRITAIN REGARDING INVITATION IF U. s.
By Associated Press

l London August 5.--That there ex-
 ists some misconception of President
 Harding's invitation for conference
 of disarmament limitation and Pa
 cific questions is indicated by sum
 mary of the proceedings of the i'm
 perial conference issued this evening
 at the conclusion of the last session
 of that body.
 In accordance with the suggestion which was believed to have been
 made by the American government
 that the conference on disarmament | should be preceded by frinedly con versations or consultations between
 the powers principally concerned in
 the future of the far east and the | Pacific" says the summary, "the inn
 peral conference, anxious that for ! the Anglo Japanese agreement there | should be substituted some larger ar rangement between the three great powers concerned namely the United ! States, Japan and Great Britain, and l holding the firm conviction that the | later discussions on disarmament. to | w HiGii they dlldCnCu lIduottud6hN Ahi - portance, could best be made effec ! tive by a previous mutual under
 standing on Pacific questions by 1 those powers discussed these pre- | liminary conversations.
 When it transpired," continues the i summary, that there was some mis- understanding as to the nature of the ! suggested preliminary conversations, | the British government in a desire to
 remove any possible misconception
 and to meet what it believed to be | the American view, volunteered to ! attend a meeting on the other side 1 of the Atlantic at which the agenda l of the Washington conference could l be discussed.
 "Premier Lloyd Geogre, Marquis | Curzon and the dominion premiers were prepared to attend such meet | ing if invited by the American gov | ernment. Japan also had signified | her willingness to attend. The Amer 1 ican government, however, did not l favor the idea, which accordingly
 was dropped.
 1 ''At no stage was it suggested that
 the result of such consultation should | either anticipate the work or tie the 1 hands of the Washington conference. 1 On the other hand, the imperial con- 1 ference made the proposal because il
 was anxious to remove every possible | obstacle from the path of the Wash | ington meeting which it desired to see attended with complete success" :" The summary declares that the greater part of the proceedings of 1 the imperial conference relating to 1 foreign affairs and defense was of l
 confidential character, but that the
 discussions revealed a Unanimous | opinion as to the main lines to be l followed by the British policy and a | deep conviction that the whole weigh. !. ! of the empire should be concentrated behind a united understanding and | common action in foreign affairs
 Frequent consultations were decide l
 upon
 The matter of naval defense was 1 left to the various parliaments as was the question of imperial com munication. It was decided to i'm | prove the wireless line while the va
 rious governments recommend the in-
 troduction of uniform legislation re-
 garding bills of lading. Any assist
 ance given by the governments for
 reduction of rates for press mes-
 sages, 1t was agreed, should be so
 directed as not to affect the quality
 of the news service or the freedom
 Of the newspapers so served.
 A resolution was passed, with
 South Africa dissenting, the sum
 mary says, that the rights of Brit
 ish Indians to citizenship should be
 recognized,