The daily times., 1921-10-17
ARMAMENT MEETING
BEING CONSIDERED
SERIOUSLY ABROAD
HOPE GREAT THINGS
President Harding Was Openly
Disappointed When He
Heard That Lloyd George
Was Not Coming to the
Meeting; Later the Prime
Minister Reconsidered.
HOPE GREAT THINGS
Times. }
(By David Lawrence
Copyright, 1921, by The Daily

Times.)
Washington, Oct. 15.-Prime Min
lister Lloyd George has changed his
mind and will come to the Arma-
ment Conference
Behind that terse announcement
from London lies an interesting story
which is just coming to the surface
1t will be recalled that cablegrams
from Europe indicated a few weeks
Iago that the British prime Minister
felt he would be too busy to come to
America The American Ambassador
at London heard the same and re-
ported it to the Washington govern
ment. The chargrin and disappoint-
ment of President Harding over that
piece of news was not concealed. Did
the British Prime Minister realize
what was going to happen at the
Washington conference? Did he know
that America was hoping for practical
progress and that very little speed
could be made if delegation had to
cable home every few hours for in
structions?
Whether anything was said infor-
mally to the British government
about it cannot of course be disclos-
ed but it was not long before the
British learned of the effect which
had been produced by the announce
| T wasn't
ling. A President of the United States
ihad broken a precedent to Visit
Europe in the interest of more ex-
lpeditious negotiation and it was felt
lhere that a British prime Minister
lmight return the courtesy. From the
standpoint of friendly relations moth
ling could be more helpful than per-
Isonal contact between the head OF
the British government and our own
executives. This viewpoint was con
lvincing and the British Prime Min
lister is coming at last.
Just how long Mr.. Lloyd George
Twill stay is uncertain but within the
Hast fortnight enough has developed
lin the inside OF the whole business tt
show the British Prime Minister tina
if he had any idea the Washington
( conference was to be an abstract al
+ fair, narrowed down merely to Fa
2 Eastern questions and naval arma
v ment he is grossly mistaken. 1t nov
ldeyelops that collateral issues ar
iexpected to be taken up which ma.
eventually transcend in importanc
l 1.-THE original objects of the conference
y This is not saying that the Far East
ern Problems or armament will no
' ibe given first consideration for tn
D prime effort will be to reach al
iagreement. But it does mean that tn
: lquestion of land which ha
$ so much to do with the enormous ex
penditures of European countries
particularly France, will bring t
America's attention the necessity fo
finding a way to relieve France.
Il Premier BRAND has realized the ez
Itent to which the Washington con
V ference may go in solving the prob
lens closest to the heart of tn
: French people and he has unhesita1
v lingly announced his intention of com
ing here. How shall France be pei
suaded to disarm? She is maintainin
her army largely because she believe
lit will be the only way to collect tn
g lreparation debt. But the Unite
Il States has a large debt too and pa,
y ment to her are in reality depent
IS ent upon the way the Germans pa
Il their bills. Officially there has neve
been any admission here that the We
debts of the United States depen
upon the payment by Germany
It her obligations but the fact is tt
n relationship is becoming more an
ID more a factor in drawing the Unite
CONTINUED on Page Six.)