The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1921-11-12

notion Of asking any nta6n I
dispense with the means by which
it ASSURES its reasonable safety.
It seeks only, 1t may be said bS
the &Rme authority to tenteYe
troubles, which although nov littlt
might fl the future grow great.
and BY doing that make prepafA"
tiots for war unnecessary. HAv.
ing done that, II it can be accom-
plished, America hopes to point The
/, way to a reduction Of afihAtlE11tS
| which will be fair and just to all
When the cali for che conference
was issued, It was followed BY .
wave Of public feeling that com.
plete disarmament was the object
Of the United States. This, how.
ever, quickly was corre&tedy RnS
It Was Secretary Hughes who
poined out that the proper desig.
nation Of the affair was "a confer.
ence on the limitation Of arr1As
ments," with emphasis being .plAe..
ed on the word limitation. Almost
Immediately dfterward there Was
evidence of a considerable pressure
of public thought in direction Of
| complete disarmament Oh thu
ground that if the United States
| we're to point the way the remain.
der of the world would be forced
by its public opinion to follow, and
swords would be beaten into
plouEhshareS. The United States,
it may be said on the highest Au..
thority, has no thought Of propos-
ing a complete disarmament al.
though there are indications which
may be startling.
The first few days of the SEES.
si0ns are bound to be taken UP
with official formalities and or.
%gAnization work, including the ap.
pointment of committees and the
divisions Of the conference into
sections and s~ub-scctions which
will work on the various questions
and report to the full conference
for action. The late arrival Of.
Lloyd George, the British PREMIER,
may cause some things to be de-
laycd, although work Of a pfepara-
tory nature upon them can proceed
in his absence; and the short stay
OF Premier BRAND Of France may
cause some little delay in the nee.
cssity Of his colleagues consulting
him by cable and wireless. The
Christmas holidays, however,
promise to see the. conference in
the midst of its work. How long
it will continue in session cannot
be forecast. The delegates may
experience a Washington summer.
Today's opening proceedings
were entirely Of a ceremonial ma
ture. In Continental Hall, home Of
the Society Of the Daughters Of the
American Revolution, the delegates
assembled about the great green
baize table which makes a square
L. and heard President Harding
standing on one side make his adj
dress of welcome, while Secretary
Hughes. who according to custom
and precedent, will be chairman of
the conference, stood at the ether
with tbs delegates Of all nations
seated between. Besides two hun
droG Eeats reserved for newspaper
correspondents, the few seats
which remained after setting apart
a space for the delegates were
given to high government officials.
members Of diplomatic corps and
DISTINGUISHED visitors. According
to program, tho prospects wtCo
that the first sessions would be
br:tf.
when the conference has dis
rosed of its fr't bushes Of r.
.~o-;.nE;AE6 SNah 80 &bA f6rb,oE
election Of Secretary Hughes. as
chairman, and the selection Of an
other American as secretary gen
oral, it will be faced with deciding
to what extent It's deliberations
will be open to the world through
the newspapers. Tnere is A great
pressure of public opinion fol
open sessions; there is also a great
deal 7f conviction Among those lu
| sp0nsible for the conference that
some of its deliberations nnCessar-
:ly must be confidential. 1t was
Former Premier, Clcmcnccau who
remarked to Former President
Wi;son: "You can't make peace
on a street corner"
American officials recognize the
public demand for information of
the workings of the conference and
they have said they will try to
satisfy it IN every way. They say
at the same time that some Of the
| conference proceedings neetssAr-
ily must be confidential. One Of
them who IL IN position to speak
with authority put it this way:
at all these deliberations are
public there "a the possibility that
somebcdy Will not get up~and say
what no ought TO say because he
wouldn't want to say It fl ntbltc;
there is also the possibility that
somebody will get no and say
something he ought not to say. be-
cause he yields to tho temptation
to say it for public consumption.
II tho delegates find that thor can.
not get up in the conference and
saw what they want to say, we
soon shall find them having bach
stairs conferences with A MEETING
B secretly and fixing 1t up The3
will have G and D very much put
out because they we're not con
suited. and in the end the whole
thing will be done secretly"
The American delegates are
working 10 find a way that Will
prevent such a situation. The
probability Is that a large number
OF the meetings will be in the
open-perhaps a greater number
than the public expects. There