The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-11-27
j. s. PRESTIGE IS ON
RISE At CONFERENCE
First Two Weeks of Conference
Finds America Strengthen
ing Self, Says Hapgood.
BY NORMAN HAPGOOD,
by Universal Service.

~ Universal Service.
Tho conference has now reached
the stage of reducing general prii.-
ciples to practical devices. The news
of yesterday was of q business sort.
without thrills.
No date is fixed for the next public
session, and 1t was emphasized that
II good deal OF very important work
might have to be done.
The hope Of ending by Christmas
still persists. Already there has been
discussion Of the question Of recess.
Unless the conference can finish its
work there will be q Christmas recess.
but II will be q short one.
Silence on Debts,
Stories from London that the
subject Of scaling down the war debts
would be brought up were character
lied as entirely without foundation.
II was made clear that no attempt
would be made to hurry agreement
en- subordinate seacraft until the ac-
ceptance of the 5-6-3 standard in cap
ital ships was openly agreed to.
This puts II up to Japan, Britain
having already agreed.
At the end of the first two weeks
OF the armament conference the stand
point of most OF the leading delega-
tlOnS Is CIcdT. lie
Judgment Is the American. From the
point OF view of the Administ ra ton
and the American delegation much
more has been accomplished than
could possibly have been expected,
and the outlook IL held to be excei
lent both by the President and by the
Secretary OF State.
The most pessimistic. on the other
hand. Is the French. The French
delegation believes that France has
obtained nothing SO far.
British WatchfuIly Waiting.
The British are taking a waiting
attitude. They are not disa&reeing
with the Americans on anything. but
are pushing for submarine limitations
ana for some exchange OF notes on
China and the Far East that will
make the Japanese satisfied to give
up the Anglo-Japanese treaty.
This new week will bring some Of
these critical questions into the open.
In the whole Far Eastern question the
greatest difficulties lie In decidins
what treaty rights in China. in the
leased territories, foreign nations,
up. II those difficulties can be over
come one Of the two British questions
will be answered and the British will
then be optimists.
The Italian delegation IL seething
with one subject and one subject
only. That subject Is France. AS
the chance Of getting France to
make any arrangement about land
ornaments, corresponding to the ar
ransement being made by the naval
powers concerning their building
program, looks pretty slim, the Ital.
ians are gloomy, although as they
have no fleet and no interest In the
Far East their gloom has no direct
bearing.
China is highly pleased. She has
been given the lead I'm presenting
her own case and the delegation feels
that the complicated business has
been moved forward as rapidly as
possible. Mr.. Hughes has worked
not like politician but like the
chief of American big-business law
yers Petting things done. He has in
substance told China that she must
get down to brass tacks In present
ing her own case, which China has
done. He has in substance told the
other countries interested, though in
the mort diplomatic way, that the
United States expects practical
but generous and disinterested set
Element, and that IL II fails the pub
lie of the world will know why.
Japan Is Enigma.
Japan is more difficult to read
than any Of the other countries. The
recent change in control Of her gov
eminent adds a new factor. She
would like the proportion OF 1o-lO-7
instead OF 1O-10-s and she wants to
hang onto a good deal, especially
in Manchuria, but she clearly does
not wish to be isolated, and / am
personally convinced that she has
decided that her home conditions
make /, necessary to agree in the
end with Britain and the United
States, IL those. two countries do
agree Japan, believe, expects a
positive outcome on naval agree
ments and on the Far East.
In regard to the other critical sub
iect, land ornaments, 1t was also en-
phatically pointed out that the pub
lie would be the court Of last resort,
and would be most fully Informed OF
what happened, either for success or
failure.
My own Judgment of the news in
It's real importance Is that this EN-
phatic announcement that the whole
case would be put before the public,
for it's approval or condemnation, at
the end Of the conference, takes first
place.
1t was announced that experts had
been called In to work with the sub
committee on poison gas as to the
possibilities OF control. as well as
on the possibilities of destruction now
on the horizon. A general highly
favorable approval was given to VIII
Twins book, The Next War, as stat
ing the problem as seen today by the
American delegation.