The New York herald., 1921-11-21
BY EDWIN c. HILL.

Special Despatch to THE New York HEzALp.
New York Herald Bureau,
Washington, ID. c., Nov. 90.
AS this is read. or a little later, BRAND
of France will be appealing passionately
for the security of his country. For ten
days he has been forging his words.
They will come to the conference glow
ing red. Emotionally. the open session
tomorrow should be thrilling. The
cables. carrying Brands ringing apos-
trophies. will sing like piano wires. Un-
til then. let us talk about other things
poker. the melancholy of Balfour. bobbed
hair. what the Chinese flag stands for.
1t Is not unbecoming to mention poker
in connection with the peacemakers.
They themselves constantly resort to
poker terms. BRAND, shaking his great
name, says: Let us lay all of our cards
upon the table," Shidehara, happily
recovered from what William Allen
White terms congestion of the cables, "
smilingly calls for show down." Kato
asks for another card. Hughes. dealing.
shakes his head, no. The deal is closed.
Balfour says the British don't bluff"
China, with a white chip. stays for what
is In the pot. Hughes. finishing the deal.
stands pat. calling any raise.
The peacemakers are gifted with the
poker face, Occident2ls by training. Ori-
entails through an inheritance OF impas-
sivity. Only once have the Japanese let
any amazement tighten the bland in
scrutabillty of their countenances. That
was when the Americans opened the pot
with half a billion dollars worth of bat
tleships. Since that shock only a
psycho-galvanic machine would have re-
vealed their emotions. 1t would be in
teresting to see Tokugawa or Kato with
two fingers in tube of water connected
with the telltale dial of such an instru-
ment. Especially with Hughes explain
ing the resolution for the American posi-
ton.
Mention was made Of Balfour and mel
ancholy. 1t is a scholarly and philo-
sophie melancholy. One gets a glimpse
of the inner Balfour by reading two lines
from a book, THE Foundations Of Be-
lief" written some years ago: THE en-
ergies of our system will decay: the
glory Of the sun will be dimmed, and the
earth, tideless and inert, will no longer
tolerate the race which has for mo-
mcnt disturbed its solitude. Man will go
down into the pit and all his thoughts will
perish Cherries enough. Yet Bal
four is cheerful, smiling. witty. Accord
Ing to Burton. Aristotle said. "Melan-
choiy men Of all others are most witty"
Many persons. ignorant perhaps OF
Balfour's pride in being a commoner
though sprung from a race that was rul-
ing England when Shakespeare was try
ing to get play accepted, address him
as Lord" Balfour. 1t remained for the
much impressed negro elevator attend
ant Of the b lding where Mr.. Balfour
lives to. give n peculiarly entertaining
flourish to this mistaken salutation. He
refers to the distinguished Englishman
as dat ole gen'men Lord on the fo'th
fo'." Mr.. Balfour's rather unique heel
ish shoes decidedly obfuscate him. Fol-
lowing English parlance. Mr.. Balfour re-
quests his polished boots. Old Reliable.
perturbed and returning empty handed.
replies "Mistuh Lord. suah. boy, he say
he amt got nothin' but Shoes"
Association of ideas brings submarines
to mind-Balfours proposal to get rid
vr the big ones to start with. Interest,"
lag to trace the growth OF ideas In this
conference to follow. however dimly.
undercurrents Of opinion. Unmistakably
1t is one Of the most popular proposals
before the conference. Consideration
was, in Hughes's orderly scheme Of
things. upon disposal Of the capital ship
reduction problem. Then will come SUBJ
marines and chemical warfare, the latter
a subject Of tremendous importance.
There are thoughtful men who say that
at long as the United States Is thorough
" equipped in peace time chemical pro-
duction she need fear no enemy. They
say, too. that the development of chem
ical knowledge Is certain to eliminate
war as thing too dreadful even to con-
template.
It Is only fair to the unquestionably
superior sex to state the plain fact Of