Evening star., 1921-12-24
PEACE GAINS, SAYS
PRESIDENT HARDING
Differences of View Held Un.
/ important in Relation to
/ Four-P0Wer Pact.

+ Differences Of Interpretation of the
effect Of the four-power pact were
characterized by President Harding
last night as unimportant and will
not be allowed to eclipse the main
purpose of the treaty, Of preserving
peace and providing a means of con-
sultation when peace is threatened.
!, The President took the occasion to
announce that he was more than sat
isfled with the work of the American
delegates and that there was no Justi-
fcation for the charge that they were
Withholding information.
Presidents Statement.
The Presidents statement follows:
THE President will offer no COM
ment on the disputes which attempt
TO magnify the differing constructions
On the four-party treaty. To him
these are unimportant The big things
aimed at are understandings for peace
and an agreement to meet and discuss
che preservation of peace whenever
II is threatened.
/. mo alliance or ENHANCEMENT Is
Thought of. none will be negotiated.
1t would be better to rejoice over
things accomplished than to dwell on
different views which can be of no
great consequence.
THE President is unwilling that the
unjustified charge that the United
States delegates are withholding in
formation shall go unchallenged.
He had full confidence. else he had
mot chosen them, and he has full con-
fidence now and is more than graft
fled over their efforts, because they
are working out the greatest contri-
button to peace and good will which
has ever marked the Christmas time
in all the Christian era.
IL ah l~
ideals of peace. but the bigger thing
is to seek the actuality. This the
conference is doing, in harmony with
an overwhelming American sentiment
and a world settlement, too, and in
full accord with cherished American
tradition"
Replies to Question.
Replying to the question. DO you
feel that the world has made great
progress in the direction of peace and
good will?" President Harding said:
7 Il think I made some such reply to
h similar question at the last inter-
view. 1 do think so. 1 believe it with
all my heart. l do not say that with
the thought of arrogating to the
United States of America any great-
part of the contribution than tha'
which has been made by other nations
Of like Importance and like civiliza-
tion. But 1t seems to me that In
1921, as we have come to know more
fully the aftermath of the war. as We
have come to appraise the unspeak-
able cost of it all, there is a new con.
viction in the hearts of men that that
sort of appeal-the appeal to arms
to settle the international questions
is a futile thing. and that we are un
worthy of our position and unworthy
of the blessings which fan to right
eous civilization if We do not fnd
some means for a righteous ADJUST
ment without appeal to slaughter
and waste and all the distresses that
attend. l think that conviction mas
rooted itself throughout the world
and there must come some e.ptu,
progressive expression of 1t. l think
that expression is being given at this
conference I have no thought ID
preach on this subject today. but
make your own applications. please.
Inevitable Settlements.
When men sit about the conference
Il; BILE and look each other in the face
and look upon the problems deiiber-
ately. without passion. they hnd the
way to come to an agreement. Ana
after all, there has never been con-
fiict in the world that has not been
settled in the end in that way. You
have a war; yen, destroy tho usAnds or
millions of men ard measafeiess
treasure. and then you gather about
table anu Sclt1c H. l hehNC q AS>Ai'iS
that mankind has become wise enough
to sit down before the war and try to
settle it, and that is the object of the
four-power treaty. That is why
say the small lack of agreement in
constituting it is not significant.
why, if there was menace OF
peace in Japan, what objection could
there be for the United States to sit
down with her friend In the orient
and with the other great powers and
discuss how the matter could be ad-
justed? If some one had done that
when Austria was threatening Serbia
there would have been no European
war. The whole purpose of this con-
ference is to provide some means
where just, thoughtful. righteous peo-
pies. who are not seeking to seize
something which does not belong to
Il en- can live peacefully together and
eliminate causes of conflict. This is
in the American heart. and it is in
the British heart, and 1t is in the
Japanese heart, in the French heart.
in the Italian heart--it is everywhere
in the world. If this present-day civ
iiization cannot take advantage of
this new realization, of that empha-
sized conviction, 1 would not give
much for the civilization of the fu
ture. But there is new spirit seek
ing and impelling peace. and it must
add to our Christmas happiness"