Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-07-29
WILL DELAY
ARMS PARLEY
Britain Expected To Ask
Later Date Unless Con-
ference Is Held.
PROPOSAL ADVANCED
Suggested Plan Would Give Dominion
Premiers Chance To Be Heard.
French favor Delay.

w washington, Juiy -" Oii4So"
there is some agreement for a pre-
liminary conference on Far Eastern
and Pacific problems which the
group of British Dominion Prime
Ministers may attend or be repre-
sented, it seemed today that the
movement for a postponement of
the disarmament conference until
some date after the first of the year
would be pressed with increased
vigor by the British, and perhaps by
other powers.
The American Government. it is
learned, is no more inclined to acS
quiesce in preliminary conference
4cw than when the suggestion was
first made, and continues to dis
courage such plan by all the
means it has at hand without as
suming an arbitrary or dictatorial
attitude.
1t became known, following a CON-
ference yesterday between the Sec
rctary of State and the British AM
bassador, that definite suggestion
had been laid before this Govern
mcnt for preliminary conference
in August, to be held somehere in
the United States other than Wash
ington or somewhere in Canada.
This session might be participated
in conveniently By three and per-
haps four Of the Dominion Prem
lens, it is pointed out, at least two
Of whom would find it impossible cc
be IN An.crica i. the autumn.
AS already stated, this Govern
ment so far has not concurred in
any proposal that preliminary con
ference take place either on this
continent or in London. It is the
feeling Of the Administration hat
no favorable result might be hoped
for from such proceeding; that it
would only complicate the problems
to be dealt with and make it the
more difficult for the disarmament
conference proper TO arrive at con-
illusions acceptable to all interests.
1t so happens, however, that the
British Government has a problem
of internal politics more or less diff
ficut to deal with and exceedingly
delicate. The dominion Premiers
insist upon voice in the settlement
of the Pacific issues and unless q
preliminary conference is held, at
which they may be present, they will
demand session sufficiently far in
the future to permit them to par
ticipate in person.
Should the British Government
therefore find American and other
powers unfreindly to the idea Of
preliminary conference, it seemed
morally certain today that London
will insist that the general corfer-
ence of the Powers be deferred until
next spring.
Incidentally, it was learned today,
following a visit to the State De-
partment of Japanese Ambassador
Shidchara, that his Government
probably would welcome a delay Of
few months in holding the confer
ence The japanese, it seems, row
that they have accepted the full in
vitation of the President, realize
how important it is to them to come
to Washington fully armed with
fact and circumstance in order to
successfully impress their vltws
upon the conference. a great rass
of data must be collected and a
group of the ablest diplomats and
experts in the empire must be as
scmbled for the mission which will
be sent TO Washington.
dproDcvls uyrtici mf md 0 m
Unofficial dispatches received in
Washington today assert that the
French Government also is inclined
to the view that the conference
would prove most successful if it
were held later than Armls:;ce
Day. The State Department had
received no such views from the
French Government, however, ard
Offered no comment upon the nnof-
!. fetal advices.
/ Il can be stated with authority
that State Department officials now
fec, that the worst Of the preiinli-
na1;es are over with, and that while
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