The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-09-10
WASHINGTON
 NEWS LETTER
Various Elements Which Will Enter Into Disarma-
 ment Conference.
By RICHARD LINTHICUM. ISneciaI COrreSDOndence

WaSn1nSIOn, sept. 1U-Any 1HIelr- Disarmament Conference with a view of anticipating results therefrom must be predicated upon a set of facts, succinctly as follows:
 1. The Conference was reluctantly called in response to the demands of public opinion created by Senator Borah and his Democratic and Pro- greSSive Republican colleagues.
 2. The simple question of disarm- ament has been complicated by the injection of purely diplomatic Asiat1c questions which can only operate against speedy and successful results
 The disarmament conference there fore will meet under most unprom- ising auspices. But these are not the most discouraging features of the situation. The administration having complicated the disarmament pro gram, complications are beginning to multiply.
 The Japanese are insisting that the principal Far Eastern questions which might otherwise come before the conference are already "accOm- plished facts and therefore not sub ject to discussion. Baron Okuma, the statesmen is quoted as saying that if the conference undertakes to discuss nhe accomplished facts" Japan should quit the conferencei
 Senator McCumber of South Dako- ta, the ranking Republican member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, has put the question of a League or Associations of Nations squarely up to the administration, in a public statement, as a condition precedent to any agreement for the limitation of ornaments, the conten- tion being that any agreement to re- duce or limit armaments would be worthlesss without an organized use force to carry aut the agreement.
 It is reported that Ireland, Korea, India. Egypt, and possibly Mexico, will make demands for the settlement of their grievances by the conference
 It is also reported that South and Central America, which have not been invited to take part in the conference, will have special observers here, as their military establishments might be effected by any hard and fast de- cision of the conference.
 Senators Borah and Johnson in their demand for open sessions of the conference, a demand which also has been voiced eloquently by Senator Harrison, one of the leading Demo- cratic orators of the Senate, are ap- parently arouSing public sentiment in behalf of publicity, which would af- ford opportunity of airing many mat ters which might otherwise not come before the conference.
 Another advocate of open sessions is Frederic R. Coudert, the great in ternational lawyer. who fears that closed sessions will result in much 1n1SunUPrSIdnQ1nS ana Q1SCOrtlOn the public press of what takes place behind closed doors.
 The opposition to Senator Lodges appointment as member of the Dis among his critics being prominent members of the Women's Committee for World Disarmament. Aside from opposition because of his well known views on the subject, Senator Lodge is also opposed by leading newspapers on the ground that his appointment to a diplomatic mission is a violation
 of Article l, Section 6. of the Consti- tuition of the United States, which prohibits Senators and Representa- | tives from holding any civil office un- | der the United States, the intention
 being to protect the legislative branch from executive influence. This mat ter was thoroughly and convincingfy | discussed by Senator Lodges late col | league, Senator Hoar, in protesting against similar appointments by Pres | ident Mckinley.
 Hopeful the country is that something in the way of limitations | of armaments may result from the
 conference. it must be admitted that | the optimism with which the calling of the conference was received is rap
 idly changing to a state of pessimism | and doubt.
 President Harding's address to the Army War College in which he said | that there may never be a time with | out the necessity for armed forces in every government is construed by | some to mean that the President is l reasserting an attitude he maintained | prior to his call for a disarmament conference.
 1 It is also taken to mean that the President wants the people to under | stand they must not expect too much | from the coming conference on the | limitation or armanlentS.
 It is apparent. however, from the great number of questions that are | arising in connection with this con 1 ference that the people will expect a | great deal from it. tI is obvious also | that these questions have arisen by | reason of President Harding's en- | largenent of the scope of the confer
 ence as originally contemplated under | the Borah restitution. When he in Jected eNtraneouS and purely diplo- l matic problems into the simple prob | lem of a limitation of ornaments, he ] opened the way for the introduction
 of almost any problem remotely as-