Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-11-03
INSIDE ON WHY
PRESIDENT CALLED
ARMS CONF ERENCE
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Ueased Wire Service to The Journal

Copyright, 1929
WASHINGTON, Nov. 1.-Great
Britain and the United States face
a Showdown
Do the two English-speaking peo-
pies really stand together through
their respective governments orr is
all the talk about kindred races and
"hands across the seas" only so
much poppycock and banquet drivel?
This, in nutshell, is the first
fundamental which will be settled by
the conference on ornaments and
Far Eastern problems which brings
to Washington in the next fortnight
the representatives of all the major
powers in the most important gath
ering since the peace conference that
ended the European war.
To understand the many fine
points of the coming conference, to
read between the lines of it's formal
statements and Observation-Disclosures
speeches, the average American who
doesn't follow the intricacies Of di-
plomacy will do we'll to bear in mind
certain facts which have been de-
veloping slowly in recent months,
but which when pieced together re-
move entirely the veil of mystery
from the proceedings which we are
soon to witness here.
In the first place, without detract-
ing in the least from the lofty spirit
which actuated President Harding
in summoning the conference of
powers, it is important to disclose
just how the meeting happened to
be called. Events forced the issue
events indeed over which the
United States did not have complete
control.
The inside Story
Here is the inside story:
President Harding told the Amer.
lean people as soon as he took Of
flee that he wanted to put Americas
house in order first before tackling
questions of foreign policy. He hon
estly believed it could be done. Mr..
Wilson as president had given first
consideration to foreign policy, had
gone overseas himself to help settle
it, while taxation and after-the-war
economic issues developed intense ir-
ritation at home. Mi. Harding
thought he would reverse the proc
ess. But when he began getting con-
fidential cablegrams from his trust
ed ambassador in Great Britain.
George Harvey, telling him what
was happening in Europe, Mr.. Har-
ding took counsel with Secretary
Hughes and he realized that the Sill
uation was developing faster than
he had imagined. He had believed
that with the settlement OF domestic
questions, there would be time later
to enter the realm of international
conference. When Senator Borah'
of Idaho, and others 'clamored' TOR a
conference on disarmament, Mr.. Har'
ding felt that while the object was
a good one, his hand ought not 10
be forced. He believed such things
could wait till our government was
ready to give its whoie-hearted at
tention to the matter.
But something happened in Lon
don to upset Mr.. Harding's plans for
an orderly handling of these thorny
questions of foreign policy. That
'ssomething'' was the imperial con-
ference of dominion premiers In
JNne.
Surely, you will say, a meeting or
the prime ministers of Canada, New
Zealand, South Africa, Australia ana
India is a domestic matter-hoW
could such a consultation in London
affect the calm of official Washing
ton 5000 miles away? The answer
is this:
The AngIo-Jap Alliance.
The conference of preniers was
called by Prime Minister Lloy ]
-deorge to learn whether the Brit
iAh empire should or should not re-
new the offensive and defensive al
lance between Great Britain and
Japan, commonly called the anglo
Japanese Alliance" 1t was made
about twenty years ago and pro-
vided for a close working arrange
nent between Japan and Great
Britain "for their mutual interest"
The phrases of that alliance looked
harmless. Indeed, lest it be sup
posed that Great Britain would be
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