Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-08-24

There is discussion now of a world financial
conference in Washington at the same time that
the disarmament parleys are under way. The
two questions are so woven together that lmita-
ton of ornaments cannot well be considered
apart from international finances and trade. As
a matter of fact, it is doubtful If the disarma-
ment congress would have al fair chance of sue
greatest nations were in debt, their people sup
porting an almost crushing burden of taxation
which the limiting of army and navy expendi-
lures will tighten materially.
These two great meetings will bring to Wash
ington approximately 10000 people who ordi-
narily would not come here. Washington again
will be pushed hard for places to house all Of
the people who must make this city their home
for an indefinite period, as it was during the
war and for many months thereafter.
The State Department is at work now survey
ing the situation from all angles. The embas-
asked to find out from their governments exactly
how many will be included in their delegations.
and the indications are that the smallest dele
cation from any of the more important nations
will number at least 100. Great Britain is I'M
derstood to have asked two hotels be provided
to take care of its delegates. Japan is expected
to notify the state Department that its dele
gates and their experts, assistants, clerks, ste
nographers, and the like, will number between
of England, France, Italy and Japan, almost
every other country in the world whether a mil
itary or naval factor or not, Is expected TO nave
a delegation of official observers at the confer
ence.
Hordcs of News Men.
In addition to the huge official delegations.
there will be hundreds of newspaper correspond
ents from all over the world who will cover the
parleys until the sessions end, and unoficially the
State Department will take a hand to see that
these men are comfortably housed. While the
State Department has nothing to do with Amer
that thousands will visit the already crowded
city each week throughout the winter.
To cope with the situation, committees are be-
ing organized Now in the State Department., each
charged with a specific part of the work of
taking care of the army of official visitors. An
official information bureau must be. formed so
that tho thnIglnd and ono n1nGf1OnS aSkn6 nv
strangers of other nationalities can be answered
quickly. The Library of Congress. the greatest
institution of its kind in the world, will be util-
lied by the foreign delegates a great deal, and
their Investigations must be helped as far as
possible by the American government in its ca
pacity as official host.
Another problem on which work has started
is finding sufficient Office space for the delega-
tions. A survey of the building situation is under
way, and inquiries have been started to see what
facilities of this kind each delegation desires.
This problem is not an easy one to solve, as
relatively few Office buildings. Moreover. what
space is available. here is nearly all occupied,
and it is likely to be as difficult a task to get
office room as to provide living quarters.
The actual delegates and their suites will be
met by representatives of the State Department
at the seaports at which they enter the country,
and brought to Washington as guests of the gov
eminent, probably by special trains. After being
conducted to the quarters arranged for them by
the joint efforts of their embassies and the
State Department, they will for the remainer of
their stay in Washington be their own hosts as
far as paying expenses Is concerned.
Assembly Hall Problem.
Another angle of the situation which is caus-
ing a great deal of trouble is the obtaining or a
proper hall in which the public sessions may be
held: washington n1nston., is n not PROVIDED VIZ ban w1th o anS
sessions of a conference as dignifed and I'M
port as the disarmament discussions. The sug-
gestion that a theatre be used was brought for
ward, but was rejected promptly because the
delegates might appear to be performers and
might be made a little ridiculous by such a pro-
ceeding.
Although the principal conferences will be
open, the everyday, unofficial citizen will not
sions on account of this lack of a large modern
hall with good acoustic properties. SeVeral
meeting places are under consideration with tne
chances favoring the selection of the ball room
in the Union. This room is ABOUT
the same size as the Hall of Mirrors, where the
open sessions of the Versailles peace conferences
were held. The State Department estimates that
when the delegations are seated, and the news
paper correspondents taken care or, there WI
remain room for only fifty outsiders, and with
out doubt these seats will be pre-empted at each
session by resident members of the diplomatic
corps.
Unfortunately, building operations in Wash
ington have not been going forward speedily
for several years, despite the difficulty in OBTAIN
ing quarters here during the war Tor the tnou-
sands of war workers who poured into the city
and had to be housed.
In old apartment houses it is impossible to
dislodge the regular tenants to make room for
the foreign guests. and there are only two new
ones of any size nearing completion now. Land
lOrQS 40 not care 10 urn tHcSe oNcl VI oUN'.
purposes if they can avoid it, as the wear and
tear on the property is a large item. Then again,
there is the trouble of completely furnishing a
whole apartment house for temporary tenants,
as the disarmament conferences may not last
more than six months at the most.
There has been some suggestion of having
some of the delegates live in Baltimore, but this
has been discarded because of the worry and an
noyance of having to commute daily TO WASH,
ington. forty miles away. SO Washington. small
as it is in comparison with other capitals and
ill-equipped to handle such a large gathering
has got to spread itself out in some way and as
simulate 10000 people who will stay here until
spring.