Arizona republican., 1921-07-15
NIPPONESE READY FOR DISARMAMENT DISCUSSION BUT
 AVOID FAR FAST
STATE DEPARTMENT MAY AGAIN PRE-
 SENT CASE TO TOKYO AND ASK RE-
 CONSIDERATION; OFFICIALS FEEL JAPAN CANNOT STAND OUT ALONE
rRepublIcan A. p. Leased wIreJ

WASHINGTON. July 14.-Japan is ready to enter the disarmament con- ference. but withholds assent to an unrestricted discussion Of Far East ern questions as a part of it.
 The view point of the American government is that a solution of the Far Eastern questions is necessary accompaniment to any disarmament program
 Thus develops the first hitch if a hitch it turns out to be =. Tn President Harding's plan to remove the cause for heavy ornaments and then reduce the arr maments themselves
 American officials. however. are optimistic that a way will be found for satisfactory conference to which Japan will be a party and for acceptable to all.
 The Japanese reply to the prelimi- nary question of whether she would receive an invitation to such a con- ference came to the state department today through the American embassy at Tokio. Its text was not made pub lie and department officials declined to reveal its contents except to say that 1t expressed approval of the disarmament discussion but did not agree to a consideration of Pacific problems.
 During the day. however. f became known that the attitude Of the Japan ese government was known to the that the disarma ment question is a vast one in itself. and that if other questions are introduced into the field of discussion the conference may be so broadened as to endanger it's sue cess. Japanese officials are said to feel this to be particularly true if the questions so introduced are to affect the delicate balance of diplomatic re- lations in the Orient There Is. mani fest in Tokio belief that such a de- bate might open up a Pandoras box of troublesome diplomatic intricacies which would set for MT Harding's conference a task of readjustment even greater than that attempted by the peace conference at Versailles
 The alternative, in the belief Of Japanese statesmen. would be to agree before hand on exactly what questions will form the subject mat ter of the discussions. To this is op- posed the opinion of American of ficials if the nations first agreed 10 come into the conference. whatever limitations appeared advisable could be fixed by general assent afterward-
 What will be the next step of the president and his advisers did not appear tonight. But since all of the powers are agreed as to the disarma- ment end of the proposed conference it was the apparent purpose of the state department to regard the as- sembling of the meeting as assured Formal notes of invitation are expect ed in due course.
 Two courses are open in attempting to bring Japan into full participation The state department may again pre- sent the case to her informally and ask that she reconsider. On the other hand this government may go for ward with it's plan of sending out formal invitations in the hope that the officials at Tokio will decide they can secure satisfactory deiimitation of the discussions after the delegates have assembled
 Ii is not impossible that the course adopted will include clements of both of these plans There is feeling here that Japan scarcely will decide in the end to stand out by herself among the powers when confronted with the actual choice of accepting or declining a formal invitation IL is certain that pressure will be con- tinued through informal agencies to bring the Tokio officials around to the American viewpoint. It also is manifest that high officials here are thoroughly confident that they VIII succeed in constructing a basis of negotiation that Japan can accept