The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-12-08

Discussions of the proposal
among the arms delegates have
reached well advanced stage,
although none of lhc govern
ments commemorative United
States, Great britain, Japan and
France--has given its final APP
prevail. A suggestion that the
Angi0-Japanese pact be revoked
has gone to London and Toxic.
Possible controversies over the
Pacific islands alone, exclusive of
the Hawaiian group land zap,
would come under the provisions
of the new agreement. zap is to
he the subject of "a separate
treaty, negotiations for which
are nearing completion, and Ha-
wall is to be considered for the
purposes of the agreement as
part of the American mainland.
The problem of China or other por-
lions Of the Asiatic mainland are not
to be touched by the proposed treaty.
nor will it contain provisions relat-
ing TO Pacific Qualifications or the
naval reduction program.
1t is possible, however, that all
these questions may come simulta-
neously to the point of a decision. BY
tie EAulfi ivan htltG4lGH inc DTOJtCiS
regarded as ests hlishing neither an
alliance nor an entente, but merely
as applying to the Pacific Islands
the principle OF the 80 odd Bryan
peace treaties 10 which the United
states already is a party A public
statement setting forth that position
probably viii be made in the near
future by Secretary Hughes.
Americans Silent
For the rsesent. the authorized
spokesman prefer to say nothing
about their conversations on the sub
jects, which have been proceeding.
entirely behind the curtain of "eN-
ecutive sessions Apparently the
negotiations so far have been kept
within small group centerins in the
big three"-Hughes, Balfour and
Kato.
An evidence of the optimism
with which American officials,
who are In on the secret, view the
general situation in the arms
conference was given today,
however, by President Harding.
who declared in n public address
that the negotiations promised to
''succeed beyond our fondest
hOpes.- Without making direct
reference to the proposed four
power agreement. he predicted
that the Washington conference
would usher In new day in ia
tcrnatiOnaI nmity.
All the outward indications point
to merging of the Pacific question
with the naval ratio problem SO far
as the final decisions Of some of the
foreign nations are concerned. M
reply from Toxic regarding the naval
reduction plan now is expected until
leo IS.
ready to make some expression on
the four-power proposal. IL is pos
sible that in the final analysis the
questions of Shantung and China
generally may also become inter-
woven in the general scheme before
specific and definite settlement Of
any of these elements is reached.
Thus it would not surprise close
observers here If the whole range Of
controversies under consideration
were gathered in the end under one
blanket understanding, to be trans
lated then into several formal instru-
ments of agreement.
Both Japanese and Chinese reflect
ed. optimism over the Shantung nego-
tiations tonight after another meet
ing in which Japan offered to give
up the public property in the leased
territory of Kiao Chow, as another
step toward meeting the Chinese po-
sition. In the committee of the whole
of the nine nations resolution was
adopted during the day pledging re-
spect for China's neutrality in future
wars and another restricting the
uses of foreign radio facilities on
Chinese soil.
There is a general feeling that all
of these subjects-the Chinese ques-
tions, Shantung, the naval ratio and
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