The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-12-21
HARDING |SKEPT
UN|NF0RMED On
TREATY Terms
Discrepancies Noted In Inter
probation Placed Upon Pact
BY President.
By POLITICUS.

BY fOAATlCUo.
Two DEVELOPMENTS In the arms con-
ference yesterday shed flood OF light
on its hidden machinery. Both promise
to play a part In the Senate's discus
sions of the compact.
The first was tho revelation Of the
discrepancies between the interpreta
lions by President Harding and secre
tary Hughes of the real meaning of tn:
quadrilateral treaty.
This brought to light the fact thai
even the President had not been in
formed of the secret Understandings
reached behind closed doors of the big
three.
The second was the British demand
for an open session on the submarine
question by means Of which the Brit
ish hope to force the hands Of the con
ference and to reap the results of fivs
weeks Of persistent propaganda
| against that weapon. They believe
| they have aroused sufficient popular
opinion to override the judgments OF
| the American, French. italian. Dutch
and Japanese naval experts.
British Support U. 8.
Despite official efforts that viii be
made today to minimize the differences
between the views of President Hard.
ing ana those of Secretary Hughes on
the treaty, this discrepancy Ia funda-
mental. The Chief Executive believes
that the four-power treaty cannot ap-
ply to questions affecting Japan proper
any more than II can apply to the
mainland of the United States. Sec
rotary HUGHES has declared on several
occasions that all of the islands OF
Japan, main or otherwise, are included
in the terms OF the treaty. thus giving
to Japan q special position under It's
provisions.
As the British have taken the same
view that Secretary Hughes has taken,
IL IL likely that the Administration
win find some way of recOnciling the
Presidential Interpretation with that
of the Secretary Of State. and that the
latter's opinion viii prevail. This will
require some finesse In the use OF
words, but Secretary Hughes II conf
petent to take care Of that task, and
we leave II to him.
The conviction that Secretary
Hughes opinion will prevail Is fortified
by the fact that his Interpretation has
not only been sNrorted publicly ny
NH. Dul lloN NiiO phcP0~~@ ~
include tho main island Of Japan In
the application Of the treaty was d.
rectly engineered by the British dele
cation.
Japan Opposed Secrecy.
According to revelations OF secret
sessions from British sources. ia
pan did not originally wish to be so
included. But the British were anX-
NQU YEA
land should be covered by the mantle
of the treaty's prptection and they
did not want to dteogate the tmpor-
lance Of those domfniOns by giving
them a classification below that OF
Japan. AZ a result, they were able
to overcome the. scruples OF the Jap
anese delegation and to obtain from
them an acQuiescence in the Hughes
Balfour interpretation.
This il a part Of the secret his.
tory of the conference, now published
for the first time. So well have some
OF these secrets been kept that TINS
one had not even reached President
Harding.
This emphasizes the real signifi-
canoe of the secret gatherings. In
the face of all of Senator Lodges
poetic palaver about the simple
terms" of the treaty, such an emil
nent student of simple language as
President Harding seems to have
been misled by It's terse phraseology.
The real reason he was mfsled, OF
course, lies in the fact that the big
three, who framed the document,
had their own views as to the mean
inRs of these simple terms. Senator
Lodge, who was not a participant IN
their sessions, may have been mlsied
a praGidant
but he had no opportunity to exploit
his personal views before they could
be corrected. AS we have said, we
are confident that the British view
win prevail. But the incident will
have been well worth while II 1t
seryes as a lever to pry loose some
Of the other implied reservations as
10 the meanings Of the simple Ian
euaxe of this treaty. when the Sen
ate puts II under the microscope.
Strategic Move Made.
Having engineered the process by
which the treaty was made to apply
to Japan proper, the British are not
in civ 10 permit q difference between
Secretary Hughes and President
Harding to wipe out that advantage.
They are hard bargainers. they are
not her for fun. They are going TO
get all that is loose, II they can.
That ia why the BRUSH maoe an
other strategic move today in their de-
mand for an open plenary session for
the discussion Of the submarine cues
ton. This request came as distinct
surprise to the other delegations.
when n suited British interests best,
"a. An the hidden details of the quadri-
lateral treaty. Mr.. Balfour and his
colleagues have been willing to have
these delicate discussions discussed In
secret sessions. They merely reserve
the right to reveal the conference Sc
crets whenever it suited British views
as in the French naval proposals.
Opposing England.
Tn the submarine question, however,
tho Brttish realized a considerable ma
jority Of the conference was against
them. The United States, France,
italy, Japan, and Holland had all
taken a definite stand against too
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