The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-12-25

tenderness than that on which they
carried the Unknown Soldier to his
grave, Nj. Hughes big gun was fired
under a perfect morning sky-it was
only when we came out that things
had grown stern and the clouds w-ie
dark, as IL to give US a sense that
serious thing had been done that
morning and IL was well to get down
to work, IL II was to be made good.
The morning of December 10. there
was frost on all the Washington roof
tops, the sky was clear, there was
an air that put a spring In your heels
and 1t was a joy to hurry down with
the crowd to get your ticket. 1t put
you in mood for something exciting,
helped enormously the keen anticipa-
ton that stirred the town.
The scene in the conference was
what II had been at all the open ses-
sions:-each delegate in his place,
the advisory board banked behind
them, the boxes overlooking with
ladies. the press in their usual seats.
The House gallery, on which / look
from my excellent position. was even
more amusing than on the opening
day. 1t was quite full, for somehow
the House had obtained permission
to bring its family along. and there
were many ladies sprink,ed through
the gallery. They made it more ami
mated but not a bit more dignified
In Its behavior.
Sure I'm Presentation.
And then, on the tick Of the hour,
Mr.. Hughes arose. What an orderly
mind! A mind that must know where
it is headed. how it Is going to get
there. the exact point it has reached
at given moment He must know
himself and he never fails when he
presents his case, to make sure that
you know. Again and again in his
talks to the press he carefully points
out the correspondents who are given
to jumping to. the feature, running
back to the past. wanting to know
this or that that Is not on the agenda
by any stretch OF the Inauguration,
just what the muttons" are in this
particular conference.
THE agenda is our chart. here
Is where We have arrived today We
are moving in this or that direction.
shall have nothing to say about
what we find when we arrive until
we are there, then you shall know
everything" That is, Mr.. Hughes
does his utmost to keep the mind of
press and public concentrated on the
actual problem under his hand. He
started the plenary conference of
December 10 in the same fashion.
the session, he said, was to be
devoted to that part of the agenda
which concerned itself with the
Pacific and Far Eastern questions.
the committee charged with these
questions had taken up first a con-
sideration Of China; certain conclu-
sions In regard to China already
given out to the public had been
reached. 1t was the business of the
full conference, however, to assent
to these conclusions In turn Mr..
Hughes reviewed them. and in turn
the conference assented:
Details Chinese Conclusions.
1. The four resolutions which
will go down in history as the Root
resolutions: they are, as Mr.. Hughes
pointed out eloquently. a charter
given China by the eight powers
here represented. protecting her
sovereignty and independence and
guaranteeing that no one hereafter
shall seek within China special ad-
vantages at the expense of the
rights of others.
2. The agreement between DOW
ers not to conclude between them
selves any treaty affecting China
without previously notifying China
and giving her an opportunity to
participate.
8. A pledge given by all the mem
bers of the conference not to enter
into any treaty or understanding
either with one another or with
any power which would infringe
the principles laid down in the Root
resolutions.
This business done, Mr. Hughes
sprung the second surprise OF the
day.
81 shall now ask Senator Lodge
to make a communication to the
conference with respect to a matter
which is not strictly within the
agenda, but which should be made
known to the conference at this
first opportunity"
1t was the treaty that had been
lurking so long behind the fog, A
simple enough treaty in form, brief,
only 1876 words, but how portent-
Gus for us, the United States. Those
few words bind US to Great Britain,
the French Republic. and the EN-
pire Of Japan, in a contract to re-
spect one another's rights in rela-
ton to all insular possessions and
dominions in the region Of the Pa
cific Ocean. We agree to settle
Quarrels II any there should be, by
conference, when it cannot be done
by diplomacy. We agree also II
the rights of any one of the four
associates are threatened from the
outside ito communicate with, ono
another fully and frankly as to the
most efficient measures to be taken
jointly and separately to meet the
exigencies Of the particular situa-
ton"
Looked Like Article x.
Article x of the league of ma
lions! 1 pinched myself to be sure
I was not asleep. Swift glances
right and left treasured me, for I
could see sly little smiles-and
some looks of disgust-on nearby
faces And then I fixed my eyes
on the American delegation. They
were taking It like gentlemen,
though it did seem to me that Mr..
Hughes was not sitting quite so
straight and looking quite so proud
as usual. Article x read by Henry
Cabot Lodge! Is the dramatist of
the conference for. the Limitation of
armament also great satirist?
surely you must search far in
American history to find another
scene so full Of irony,
MI. Lodge read the treaty
through in his fine, clear voice;
digested 1t in a few simple words;
followed 1t with a nice little liter
airy talk on the romance that hangs.
over the Isles of the Pacific to