River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1921-12-29

general view. Division OF Upper
Silesia between Germany and Poland
caused lot of trc:iSle. a plehiscite
was held there In March. but both
sides asserted it was unfair and early
in May the region was invaded by
Polish lrregulars. Thinly yeiied support
was given them by the Warsaw gov
eminent and also by the French and
there succeeded long series of fights
between them and German volunteer
forces. The entente cordiale of the
allies was near to rupture, but in June
British troops entered the territory
and began clearing out the Poles. The
dispute was referred to the league
council which In october announced
the boundary lines. Neither Germany
nor Poland was satisfied but both ac-
copied the decision.
All through the year the Greeks
fought the Turkish nationalists in
Anatolia, with varying fortune, while
the allied powers held aloof, though
Offering mediation which Greece re-
fused. In November France made
which aroused protests from Great
Britain and led to diplomatic negotia-
tons.
The United States formally made
peace with the central powers, the
treaty with Austria being signed Au-
and the pact with Hungary August %.
In these treaties America reserved all
that was given her by the treaty OF
Versailles which the senate had re-
fused to ratify.
President Harding on July 10 is
Britain. France. Italy and Japan to
send representatives to Washington
for conference on limitation OF
armament and Far East questions.
Acceptance from all was already as
sured by a process of feeling out"
lions went out. China, Belgium. Hol-
land and Portugal being asked TO par
ticipate in discussions involving the
Far East. The foremost statesmen OF
these nine powers were named as
delegates and on November L the mo-
mentous conference opened with I'M
posing ceremony. Almost immediate
ly Secretary Hughes put forward
Americas plan for reduction and
limitation of naval armament, includ-
Ing naval holiday for ten years, the
scrappng OF all shipbuilding pro-
AL as oil fo nar
tain point and the maintenance OF
the navies of America, Great Britain
and Japan, on 500 basis. The plan
was formally accepted by the delegates
of those nations on December 10, and
to the agreement were added clauses
for the preservation of the status quo
OF naval buses and fertilization in the
western Pacific.
OF almost equal importance was the
four-power pact accepted by the con-
ference on December IL. This was
cast in the form of treaty by which
the United States. Great Britain,
France and Japan agreed to maintain
peace in the Pacific, the Anglo-Jap-
anese treaty being abrogated.
China offered some very difficult
problems to the conference and all the
demands OF her delegates were not
satisfied. The conferees, however, did
enter into an agreement to remove
many of the foreign restrictions on
China and to respect the territorial
and administrative integrity of the
oriental republic and preserve the open
door for trade and industry OF all ma
tons. Direct negotiations between the
Chinese and Japanese delegates re-
suited In Japan's agreeing to restore
Shantung province to China upon re-
ceiying payment for the railway.
1t was evident from the first that
the conference could not do much In
the matter of Limitation OF land arma-
ments so long as the situation In CEN
trail Europe remained so unsettled.
Premier BRAND was present to give
voice to Frances needs of protection
and fears OF aggression by Germany
and possibly by Russia. His eloquent
speech so far convinced the confer
;ence that the other powers gave as
surance that France would never be
left In the ''morai Isolation" which she
feared.
President Harding has chung to his
idea that an association Of nations can
be formed which would do what the
League of Nations cannot do. and on
November % he put forward the sug-
gestIon Of q continuing series Of con-
ferences like that In Washington.
which presumably might result in the
formation of the association. The
idea was received with favor every
fxyhara exeeDt that the French de-