The Washington herald., 1921-11-28
PARLEY HOPES
HEIGHTENED BY
U.S.. TEAMWORK
Delegates Under Hard
ing's Whip Strong for
Task, Says Steed.
By WICKHAM STEED.
Editor Of London Times.

Il
The diary of this conference
might well be kept in parallel col
umns. over one column should be
written, Things to be remembered"
and over the other. Things to be
forgotten"
At the head of the former column
might stand some such entry as
this: a powerful American team is
harnessed to the conference, in
readiness to haul il out of any rut
into which il may sink. or to drag
II vigorously through miry places"
At the beginning Mr.. Hughes. the
chief position, cracked his whip and
the conference went off at a trot.
Then NJ Briand. Mr.. Balfour and Mr..
Hughes together gave il another
tug and brought 1t further forward.
An accumulation of impediments,
some natural. some artificial. seemed
likely to retard further progress,
when, on Friday afternoon, the
American driver-in chief turned the
heads of his team in the direction
OF broad highway leading toward
fair outlook
II is true that the conference is
not "One horse show" or even Il
"oHe team show" but the American
team is so lusty and obviously so
interested in pulling tOEt thcr and
in pulling the conference on to high
ground that those who forget it are
apt to be sorely mistaken. This is
eminently thing TO he rcmem-
bered.
Strength of L. :. Team.
Another thing not to be forgotten
l. that. should any members of other
teams jib. or should their distant
drivers try to rein them in. the
American team may he found strong
enough 30 pull the conference for
wari in their despite
The statement from the White
House on Friday afternoon was
rather in the nature of a hint than
the announcement of a positive
program 1t showed that President
Harding and his advisers do not re-
gard this conference as an end in
itself. but rather as starting
Toint for a wider process Of un-
trammelled association Of the Unit
cd States with other nations for
the purpose of promoting the peace
and prosperity of the world. The
-uEEestion that the German and
ether governments might be re-
IucSted to accept whatever rcsOlU-
tiuns or agreements the conference
may ultimately adopt. has been in
terpreted in some quarters as fore
ShadCwinE an invitation to Ger
man delegates TO attend the Wash
IH-tDn conference. Such COnclU-
~Ions seem premature. or. at the
very least. there is no positive war
rant for assuming this to be Prcsi-
dent HardinE's precise intention.
i;Ut he evidently looks forward to- a
sequence of international confer
eHces. meeting at frequent inter
valS. on a basis similar to that OF
tho present conference. for the con-
liberation Of outstanding interna-
tipGJI problems.
Hostility Toward League.
Vet there is no hostility in his
mind toward the league of nations.
Naturally the realization of his in
tentiOns depends upon the achieve
mcnt Of substantial success in this
-atheriHC. and naturally the sue
-es~ Of the Washington conference
cannot he affirmed until the main
questions now under consideration
have been solved IN principle. if
not i'm detail President Harding's
without the fullest knowledge of
the prospects OF this conference.
imply. however. 50 firm n faith that
there will De agreement on its main
issues as to give tangible substance
to what might otherwise be merely
81 uiOus aspiration.
These main issues are. of course.
the adoption of definite ratio of
naval strength as between the Brit
iSh Empire. the United States. and
Japan. and an agreement upon the
procedure for the application of the
principles already cnunciated in re-
gard to China. The American dele
cation iS understood to hold that
recognition of the 5-5-3 ratio. which
would give Japan 50 per cent of
the British or the American strength
in capital ships. is essential To a
successful limitation Of naval arma-
ments. Since the British deleEa-
tion has already accepted this ratio.
the only question is whether Japan
will also accept il. 1t is positively
stated in some quarters that, after
a determined effort to secure 20 per
cent OF capital ship strength, Japan
is now disposed to accept the orig
iHaI American estimate.
Expect Japan to Fall In.
Until an official announcement to
this effect has been made. ii would
he unwise to build hopes upon it,
but little surprise would he felt
were Japan speedily to come into
line with the American program.
As regards China. things seem to
he moving satisfactorily. Delegates
look without disfavur upon the idea
Of regulating the eXtraterritOrial
privileges enjoyed by foreign ma
tions in China, though the applica-
tion Of the idea must depend upon
the results Of a thorough and i'm
Vartial inquiry into the existing sit
uatiOn. 1t is thought that this IN.
puiry may be entrusted to a COM
mission Of international experts.
which would go to China and report
to a subsequent conference. Such
a commission would also investigate
the position of the mixed tribunals
in China. perhaps with a view to
the establishment of a uniform code
Of law designed to harmonize the
present discordant and often con-
ficting legal principles that govern
cases affecting Chinese and foreign
ers of various -nstiDnalities .
Il.