New-York tribune., 1921-11-11
Full ABILITIES
Given Press ait
Arms Meeting,
Writers To Be Admitted to
All Main Sessions and
Wires Are Being Put In
to Take News to World
Unlike Peace Conference
Ways to Get Information
Now Open if Unwarrani-
ed Secrecy Is Attempted

From The Tfibune'a washington, Bureau
WASHINGTON, Nov. To- Represent
atives of the public of the world, typi-
special writer's. from the nine nations
who will participate In the Conference
on the Limitation of Armament and
Far Eastern Questions, are to have
every facility for reporting the dclb-
erations of the powers beginning Sat-
urday.
While official secrecy will surround
| much of the negotiations on delicate in
ternational questions for which sou-
tions are to be sought at the confer
ence, it has been arranged that the
press shall be admitted to all the main
sessions OF the conference and have
various delegations.
At the opening session of the confer
ence, which will be held in Continental
Memorial Hall, the magnificent struc-
| ture of the Daughters of the American
Revolution, approximately 300 seats
have been placed at the disposal of the
press. In the basement Of the build
ing telegraph and telephone facilities
have beer provided to enable the news
paper correspondents to have instant
communication with their Offices and to
carry the running story of the confer
-cnce into newspaper Offices through
out the world.
In the Pan-American Union Building,
where the committees of the conference
arc tc meet and where the delegations
will sit in plenary sessions, provision
also has been made to provide facili-
ties for the press representatives to
cover the sessions. Similarly, at the
Navy Department Building, where two
wings have been turned over, the vari-
Gus delegations for business and con-
ference offices, press rooms, telephones
and telegraph facilities have been in
stalled for the convenience Of the
newspaper men.
Three Paths to Public
SO far as the American delegation
is concerned there will be three ways
for information regarding the confer
ence to get to the public. They are
Open sessions Of the meetings of the
entire delegations.
Interviews by members of the Ameri-
can delegation with the newspaper cor
respondents.
Official statements setting forth the
American viewpoint on various issues
as they arise at the conference. For
eign delegations already are resorting
to this method to get their views be-
fore the American public.
The number of open sessions of the
conference will be determined by the
conference itself, but Secretary of
can delegation and probable chairman
Of the conference, will urge frequent
general meetings, so the spotlight may
be turned on the discussions between
the nations. The foreign nations, it is
admitted, are not SO eager for open
diplomacy as the United States, but
sentiment generally seems to be for in
formation as to what is going on, and
this sentiment, it is felt, will force
more open sessions than are expected.
With members Of the American dele
newspaper correspondents, opportunity
will be afforded to draw out informa-
tion on the progress of negotiations
by the various groups into which the
conference will divide to study the
questions before the conference. Secre-
tary Hughes has made it clear that
America wants the world to know the
developments, and, of course, if there
is any concerted attempt to cover up
to the people. The delegations can
discuss matters with the newspaper
writer's, or ii they wish to go it a
little stronger by way of applying
pressure, they can give out official
statements to the American public. So
far as the American delegation is con-
cerned there seems to be no DISPOSE
ton to hide from the public, but it is
felt that there will be times when in
opportune publicity might lead to
grave results, and naturally at such
times there will be guarded secrecy.
Writers Given Free Hand
The State Department virtually gave
free hand to the standing committee
ing arrangements for handling news of
the conference.
Nearly one hundred correspondents
of foreign newspapers are in Washing
ton for the conference. Every foreign
newspaper represented here will have
one man at the open sessions Of the
conference Working accommodations
for all of the other foreign writer's will
be provided.
Between four hundred and five hum
dred newspaper writer's have applied
| for credentials to the conference.
| Slightly more than three hundred will
be admitted to the sessions of the dele
gates, but, as is the case with the for
cign spondents, those who are un-
able to get seats at the conference will
be provided with the credentials that
will enable them to come i'll contact
with the various delegations.
Just how liberal the publicity ar
rangements of the Washington confer
ence are, compared with the Versailles
Peace Conference, can be imagined
when it is recalled that American news
papers were allowed only five seats at
! the signing of the Peace Treaty. Three
of these seats were allotted to the
press associations, leaving only two for
representatives of individual news
papers. Scores of newspapers repre-
sented at the conference were denied
admission. Every foreign newspaper
represented here will be entitled TO ad-
mission.