The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-11-12
GAvEL RAP
OPENS BIG
ARMS MEET
Hughes Starts Epochal
Conference at 1898
O'Clock.

4 Washington. Nov. 12.-The great
i est international conference ever
held IN America Is under way.
4 with the leading representatives
Of nine nations seated around a big
4 horseshoe table OF understanding
Secretary of State Hughes, head of
the American delegation. opened
with a rap of his gavel the interna
| tional conference of limitation OF
| ornaments and far eastern ques-
| tions.
| The gavel fell at 1898 a. m.
| Prayer for its success came first
| on the conference program.
President Harding, introduced by
| Secretary Hughes. welcomed the
| delegates in a stirring appeal to
| outlaw waT
Harding Is CheeTed.
| The president was given an ova-
| ton by the foreign delegation and
| the 500 spectators who filled ev-
| cry available foot of space in the
hall Standing beside Hughes at the
| head of the conference table, Hard
I ing then formally put the confer
4 ence in motion in a brief address of
II welcome.
4 Harding arrived shortly after
l 1870
Mrs. Harding took a place in a
box reserved for her.
Applause broke out when the
American delegation headed by
Secretary Hughes, entered the left
chamber and moved to the head Of
the table.
All Are Seated.
The delegates took their seats
with Hughes, Lodge, Root and I'm
derwood on his right in that order.
Immediately at his left was Bal
four. Lord Lee and Ambassador
Geddes. BRAND was at Under
woods right, just around the cor
ner OF the U-shaped table.
The Japanese were at the right
of the French, the Chinese next.
The Italian, Belgian, Portuguese
and Dutch delegations were rangel |
about the foot of the great table.
Il General Pershing, sitting erect,
Il was Just back of Hughes.
NJ Chief Justice Taft sat with Vice
Il President Coolidge.
n News of appointment of VisCount
II Takahashi, as Japanese premier
succeeding the late Premier Hara,
caused a stir of interest among the
delegaes
The floor was a mass of the worlds
Y greatest statesmen, military and
naval men. Admirals, Generals and
y lesser army and navy men, bedeck-
j ed with medals and decorations,
n ado %
more like council of war, than Of
4 peace.
Harding advanced to the head of
the big table, where Hughes shook
II his hand.
Il Bow in Prayer.
The audience stood with bowed
heads during the invocation.
Il Hughes first words were:
The conference will be opened
with prayer"
Harding shook hands with DR.. |
Alternately after the prayer.
Hughes then said simply: The !
President of the United States" and |
The entire audience again rose in
spontaneous applause.
Copies of the presidents speech, |
translated into the language of each ,
delegation were distributed.
Applause broke out when Harding
enphatically said:
1t is no unseemly boast i
that this will have signal infiu- !
ence on all human progression the I.
Fortunes of the world"
President Describes War.
The president spoke feelingly as
the outlined the terrible effects OF /
he war.
He eloquently praised the un-
Known soldier. Greater applause (
Came when he shouted that all /
Aoughtful peoples would !
Ike war outlawed."
Harding finished his speech at
Hose
The galleries broke into a wild !
0enonstration when the president
said, our hundred millions want
leSs OF armament and none OF war +
Members of the house and senate .
tpfang to their feet. applauding
Eighuly. The delegates remained .
Egiet. !
Ulcers broke out when Harding.
speech ended, shook hands with
American. British and French
aslegates.
Ovation for FalfOur.
arthur Balfour, head of the Brit
delegation, was given a big ova-
when he arose to nominate
etary Hughes as permanent
3airman.
hughes announced that both