New-York tribune., 1921-11-20
Balfour Joins Japan in
Plea That Its Troubles
Are Internal and Not
Subject to Supervision
Menace i'm Pacific
No Longer Serious
Disputed Questions Prac-
tically Ironed Out by
Hughes and Shidehara
By Carter Field


WASHINGTON, Nov. 19.-All
idea that the Conference on the
Limitation of Armament might at
tempt to set China's internal affairs
IN order vanished into thin air to-
day. The much discussed idea of
the powers agreeing to establish a
joint temporary control, probably
with the use of troops, which would
insure an honest administration of
the government and collection of
taxes, and permit the gradual build
ing up of strong central govern.
ment, has been definitely abandoned.
This was evident at the meeting
OF the committee on Pacific and Far
Eastern questions-which includes
all the delegates to the conference.
For the British Mr.. Balfour urged
that China should be permitted to
work out her own affairs.
Japan Opposes Plan
The japanese, in lengthy state
ment given to the committee to-day.
and to the press after the committee
meeting. urged that any action look
ing to intervention should be avoided.
China's foreign relations should be
adjusted, the Japanese declared, but
they should be permitted to work out
their domestic affairs for themselves.
Japan denied that she wished any
territory, or any special rights or
privileges. Perhaps the most sig
niticant statement made by the Jap
anese was that it would be unfortu-
nate to delay the conference by the
examination of innumerable minor
matters"
All of which justifes the general
idea set forth at length in The Trih-
une's Washington dispatches earlier in
the week, to the general effect that
most of the Pacific and Far Eastern
questions have been denatured so far
as their potentialties for imminent
controversy between Japan and the
United States are concerned
China Drops Militant Attitude
There will be no particular trouble
about the Pacific and Far Eastern
questions. China is the nation which
most desired to make fight, and China
has become so frightened at the con-
slant suggestion during the days just
preceding the meeting of the confer
ence, and in its first hours. that an in
ternatlonal movement should be made
to set up firm government and hon
est administration, that most of the
night was taken out of her delegation
before it delivered its frst blow.
The desperate opposition of the Chi
nese to any international move for re-
storing order inside of China and the
settled conviction on the part of most
OF the delegates from the other powers
That only by such a plan, or by some
power being virtually given China tenn
porarliy as a mandate in order to ac-
complIsh the same results. have brought
about the present frame of mind of
the ;, conference. which. is that nothing
shall be done to interfere with China's
domestic affairs. The other powers
cannot think of anything which would
solve the problem and at the same
time be satisfactory to the Chinese.
Issues Virtually Disappear
This conclusion, definitely and OPEN
iy expressed for the first time TODAY.
and coming on toy of virtual agree
ment between Secretary Hughes and
Ambassador Shidehara on zap, and on
the willingness of the Americans not
to fortify the Philippines and Guam
if the Japanese will not fortify the
Caroline and Marshall islands, has
gone long way toward taking the
Pacific and Far Eastern questions out
of the realm of trouble making posi-
bilities. Thisefs the more true because
Of the willingness of the Japanese to
get out of Siberia, and the tacit ac-
ceptance by the other powers of their
refusal to get out of Manchuria and
Mongolia
On the naval armament limitation
side the only really vigorous fight be-
ing waged for the moment is that by
the Japanese, who are eager to get the
''yardstick" set up by Secretary of
State Hughes changed in their favor.
Their point now is that the battleship
Mutsu, which Mr.. Hughes said should
be scrapped, apparently CHASING it with
other ships under construction, al
though not entirely completed, was
actually put in commission last month.
On this they make two contentious.
One is that the Mutsu should not be
scrapped. This point has been dis
cussed for several days, it's Importance,
as has been pointed out, lying in the
fact that this would give the Japanese
two post-Jutland ships, as against one
the Maryland-for the United States.
But it appears that the Japanese, In
claiming that the Mutsu should be
spared, had also in mind the Hughes
yardstick. They figured that saving the
Mutsu would give them percentage q