Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1921-12-10

dltAlOukl III Is ullueISGOUu lIdt
cement is held to be vital.
An official statement by the confer
ence said:
The fourth plenary session of the
conference on the limitation Of arma-
ment will be held Saturday, December
10, at IL a. M, in Continental Mem
orial hail.
Treaty Is Brief
Already, the task of drafting the
treaty into final form is web adj
vanced Its text is brief. providing in
direct terms for abrogation of the
alliance and for, cooling off" period
should war be threatened over the Pa
cific islands.
The details yet to be settled are said
to involve many minor considerations.
It is the expectation of some of. the
delegates that there soon will be pub
licly announced an agreement between
the United States, Great Britain. and
Japan, on the "five- five three" naval
ratio. Japan has not vet assented to
it, but her cabinet is sitting in Toxic
with an apparent prospect of favor
able action.
A third element of the Washing
ton negotiations, the separate parts
of which have become inter-twined as
the time for momentuous decision ar
riyes. also, has been advanced to &
point where the attitude Of each in
terested delegation is well understood.
This element involves future fortifi-
cations in the Pacific and informal dis
cussions of it have established the
status quo as an acceptable basis
of agreement
There remains only the chance of
serious controversy over the problems
of China as a possible barrier to
far-reaching understanding in which
the national spokesmen can come to-
gether on all the major points at is
sue here. Most of the principal dele
gates believe they could 60 home by
the end of the year.
Wait for East Settlement
Indications have not been lacking
that Japan might want to delay final
action on the four power treaty and the
naval ratio until the devious problems
of China and the far east have reach
ed stage where they can be Jumped
into general roundup agreement. De-
spite much talk and the adoption of
many resolutions, such questions as
Shantung and the Japanese leases in
Manchuria remain unsettled. Whether
that circumstance is to delay the agree
ments now near consummation is
question only Toxic can answer
Out-croppings of the old troubles of
the Orient have been apparent more
than once since the question of new
deal for China came before the con-
ference. At Fridays session of the
Shantung negotiations, Japan agreed
fn Ciya 1,r, tbo Y,uh1so ,,&.l;<,nc of E,,,
Chow. A Chinese delegate pointed out
that although nominally the converse
tons have been made much progress.
strings have been tied'' to almost all
the decisions
Confronted thus by the claims of
Japan and constantly conscious of the
counter pressure of the Chinese peo-
pie. the representatives of the Pekmg
government have found themselves in
position of increasing delicacy.
Other East Problems
Another point of serious disagree
ment as vet practically untouched by
the conference is Manchuria. Some Of
the Japanese are said to feel that
their government should not move
hastily to scrap warships and her al
lance with Great Britain, until she
has seen clearly what is to be the OUT
come of the Washington deliberations
on the far east
The feeling here, nevertheless, was
one of almost universal agreement to-
night that the Japanese cabinet would
be willing to accept the recommeneia-
tons of the negotiations up to date. /
The outcome of the cabinet meeting
probably will be made known here by
tomorrow.
During the day, Secretary Hughes
gave his attention to the proposed
treaty draft and the American dele
cation met and considered the latest
phases of the situation in detail.
Saturday Senator Underwood, who
has been absent from Washington be-
cause of the death of his mother, will
again take his place on the delegation
and as head Of the special sub-com-
mitee which has charge fthe Chinese :
tariff situation. The far eastern COM
mittee also will resume its considera-
ton of the Chinese problems.
Senator Underwood's committee is
understood to have made considerable
progress in its tariff considerations.
proceeding on the basis of q per
cent duty in place of the per cent
to which China now is restricted by
treaties with the powers. Great Brit
ain is said to have suggested p
per cent rate, but the subcommittee
considered the lesser figure sufficient.