The Columbia evening Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1920-1923, 1921-08-06
HARDING'SP PET
CONFERENCES
NOT ALL HIS
That Lloyd George Nearly Lei
Secret Out Is British
Newspaper Mems
Theory.
DID ENGLISH START IT?
Deletion in Text of Premier's
Speech Starts Reporters
10 investigating
Matters.

By United Press.
LONDON. tby maiD Who initiated
the pending Washington disarmament
and Pacific Conference? President
Harding or Lloyd George?
This is a problem which is being very
freely debated here, and one which is
likely To- prove contentious subject for
future historians.
The average member of the British
public doesn't vastly care either way.
but he readily comedies that LLOYD
George, with characteristic welsh wiz
ardry' and acumen. has managed 10
get in first and rake off in advance
q good share of any credit which may
accrue 10 the promoiers-wilhoui. how.
ever, incurring much blame if things fall
through.
Disinteres,cd officialdcm say that the
question can only be honestly answered
by the select few who thoroughly under
stand the inner meaning of the little
diplomatic juggle with the siaid pages
Of ''Hansard"-ihc British Parliamen
tary official record-a few weeks ago.
July Z, Lloyd George, rising in the
House of Commons 10 answer harm
iess-lookinG question about the Anglo
japanese Treaty, said that he hoped 10
make full statement on the following
Monday July III but that it would
depend upon replies received from the
United States. Japan and China" This
was the version given by every reporter
in the press gallery of The House of
Commons. There were few differ
ences iH the actual wording. some pa
pers saying: United States and Japan
others only quoting United States and
China while the majority included all
three countries.
"Hansard's report is never published
until the following day, as the House Of
Commons does not rise until ii p. m.
and very often sits into the early hours
of the morning. But meanwhile. ener-
gctic American correspondents had
cabled this quotation 10 the United
States. and equally energetic colleagues
in Washington had been round To the
State Department to find out about the
presumed mote" to which the British
Premier was evidently expecting a reply.
Washington professed ignorance and
said that there was nothing 10 reply
10, and within a few hours of Lloyd
Georges statement in the House of Com
mons, London editors and Parliamentary
experts were worrying themselves thin
over the mystery. They naturally went
10 the Foreign Office and No. 10 Down.
ing street, and something had 10 be
done.
The next day the Foreign Office
spokesman blandiy referred inquirers 10
the freshly-printed sheets of "Hansard."
which contained no reference 10 the
Premier having mentioned expecting re-
plies from the United Stales. Japan or
China. Anybody quoting the Premier
differently TO the official Parliamentary
record must have misunderstood him.
was all that could be extracted from The
Foreign Office.
Leading newspapers, with implicit
faith m their Parliamentary experts.
we're not satisfied with this and wen,
to the Premicr's office. Soon after
ward IN official Statement, was issued.
saying that somehow or other the words
would depend on replies from the Unit
ed States, Japan and China" had been
omitted" from Hansard, but that these
words were actually used by the Premier
and he'd accordingly been inserted in the
official record.
There the matter ended officially, and