New-York tribune., 1921-11-03
Arms Council
Sessions To Be
Held lin Secret
Administration Determined
That Program of Amer.
lea Shall Not BE Made
Into Public Property
Bar to Small Groups
President Confident Little
Gould Be Accomplished
if Hearings We're Open
By Garter Field

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2.--The last
rope for open sessions os the Confer
ence for the Limitation OF Armament
vas gencly but firmly laid to rest by
the Administration to-day. Nor will
the words "openly arrived al" amply
- the proceedings. so far as letting
Sse foreign delegates know Just how
Ear America is willing to go in eeachs
ing agreements. The utmost efforts
will be made by the American delcga-
tion to prevent any accurate statement
as to how far this counery is willing to
60 from reaching the American peo-
pie. it being obvious that If the Amer
iesn people were accurately informed
the same information wou.d by that
act be conveyed to t.lc representatives.
Of foreign countries.
As matter of fact. it has been OBJ
Yious at the White House since the
frst announcement that the invita-
t;ons vere sert 30 the principal Allied
powers 20 attend this conference was
made that there would be no open ses-
slons OF the conferences. except those
Of purely formal nature. There has
never been & chance, as has been con-
stantly pointed out in The Tribune's
Washington dispatches, that real bust
ness would be accomplished and real
agreements reached in the fall glare
Of publicity.
Presidents Attitude Unchanged
The President has never thought this
course was possible or practicable,
much as he would have liked to gratify
the exronents of the theory of open
diplomacy. At least three OF the Amer
lean big Four" have privately ex-
pressed the same view on more than
enc occasion, and the fourth. Senator
Underwood, although the leader Of the
Democratic party in the Senate. has
never given particularly enthusiast
support TO the efforts of Senator Pat
Harrison, of Mississippi, to embarrass
the Administration by insisting that all
the sessions be open.
Il has been generally recognized by
the Administration that if open ses-
Sions IN some way were compelled. the
actual result would be that all of the
negotiations would be conducted by
little groups of in corners, in private
rooms and III quiet chats after dinners.
The objection of negotiators to do
ing business in this mapner, 1t has
been pointed out, is that such a course
is much more conducive TO something
being put over" on those delegates
who do not happen to be present at the
particular meeting where the agree
ment is reached.
American Program Secrc.
No one appreciates this better than
most of the members of the Senate and
House, whose long experience with po-
htlca conventions recalls many in
stances OF double dealing and double
crossing at national conventions, which,
from their very size. lead inevitably to
the same secret negotiations, despite
the fact that the conventions are held
with all the public present that can be
;ammed in-
The development to-day, however, is
that the -snost effort will be made by
the American delegation to hold in in
tense secrecy just what this country is
willing to do or is able to concede. So
far from putting their cards on the
table face up, as one enthusiastic cor
respondent who has been sure that
conference will actually resemble far
more that old American game Of draw
poker.
The poker illustra ton actually was
used by one of the American big
Four in discussing the situation to-
day Admitting that everything pos
sible would be given to the press. as
representing the public, he pointed out
thai obviously this could not be done
without risking grave disadvantage to
the United States
No Announcement of Plans
This comment was in response to a
question as to whether the Admins
tration proposed at any time prior to
the conference or in the early stages
Of the conference to make a statement
as to just what solution of the Pacific