Evening star., 1921-07-25
AGENDA IN PARLEY
ON DISARMAMENT
IMPORTANT POINT
Secretary Hughes Eager to
Begin Draft of Program
of Suggestions.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Japan is ready to accept Americas
invitation to participate in the dis
armament conference. In accepting
the invitation Japan does not bind
herself to discuss anything which she
wishes to exclude from the scope of
the conference, such as questions re-
lating to Shantung or Zap, or other
matters which Japan may consider
to have been closed by the time the
conference begins.
America has not specified what sub
jects will be discussed except in a
general way-disarmament and peace
in the far east.
our government who are in touch
with the negotiations describe the
status of the interchanges between
Japan and the United States thus far
Asked Powers Informally.
Our government originally asked all
the powers Informally il an invitation
to disarmament conference would
be acceptable. That is diplomacy's
way of avoiding direct rundown.
The informal inquiries resulted in
a6i cSuole all the
powers and formal Invitations were
promptly sent. Japan is just now
replying informally that an invita-
tion would be acceptable. After that
formal invitation must be sent and
a formal reply received. Japan nat
uraliy wanted to know what would be
discussed at the conference. and
America politely said that was some
thing all the powers, including Japan,
would decide when once the invita-
tions We're accepted all around.
So, when Japan accepts Americas
invitation tine real discussion will be-
gin as to what shall be included or
excluded. The "agenda," which is
the diplomatic term for program. will
have to be- SsSS9ed before the confer
ence begins. 1pwill be the aim of the
United States TO make this agenda as
tion which has a practical relation
ship to the future peace of the far
east may be discussed. 1t will be to
Japan's interest to avoid discussion
Of her rights in China as granted her
by the Versailles pact and previous
treaties with China.
VIII BE Arranged by Cable.
Dispatches from London and other
capitals predicting that Japan would
raise the question of immigration and
demand a declaration in favor of
racial equality, as she did at the Paris
conference. are regarded here as in
spired by newspapers rather than the
Japanese government. for officials say
the Japanese government hasn't
raised any such issue.
Inasmuch as the agenda will be ar
ranged by cable ahead of time and
within the realm of secret inter-
changes the prospects are that by the
time the programmes announced the
racial discrimination question will
have been disposed of so it will not
be an obstacle to the conference 1t
will be far easier for Japanese public
opinion to understand the complete
omission of the racial equality issue
than to have the great powers dis
cuss such a moot point and be forced
to the expression of varying opinions
Japanese pride would rather not have
the powers publicity discuss such
question.
The Japanese consider themselves
racially the equal of any other race.
and to petition for a declaration on
the subject might seem to be ex-
pressing doubt whether such right
of equality is actually possessed
japan gains more in the long run
by assuming that she is the equal
racially of any other nation and in
sisting upon rights of equality than
by raising the. subject in a world con-
United States or any other power pCti-
toned world conference to declare
that America was a sovereign state.
Immigration to BE Avoided.
The chances are that notwithstand-
ing some efforts that are being made
to becloud the disarmament confer
ence with extraneous questions before
it begins. the Japanese will confine
their attention to matters IF COM
mercial opportunity in the far east
and avoid immigration subjects, which
can best be dealt with by direct agree
ment between the individual powers
vitally interested.
The American government holds
that immigration is domestic ques-
ton and as such hardly debatable.
poets are uppermost. The last i'm
migration bill has revealed the de-
sire of the American government to
protect it's workers from. cheap labor
of all races, and that right Of eco
nomic protection will never be sub
mitted to an international conference
by the Harding administration.
Now that Japan is ready to enter
the conference, the next step is the
"agenda." What questions will be on
it? The success of the entire dis
armament conference depends upon
the skill with which the problems
are submitted for discu ssion, the ex-
act phraseology. used and the prin-
ciples enunciated. Secretary Hughes
is eager to get at that part of the
business, and rs soon as Japan's ac-
ceptance is here within the next
twepty-four hours he will begin to
draft a program of suggestions
Copyright, 1921