The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-11-17
ANCLO-JAPAN
PACT HEART
OF QUESTION
America In Position to Urge
Settlement of Armament
First Out of That Flows
Alliance Disposition.
V0lDED BY u. s. PLAN
BY MARK SULLIVAN


WASHINGTON, Nov. 1.-THE heart
OF what is going on in the closed con-
ference on limitation OF armaments
lies in the Anglo-Japanese alliance
which of the two main subjects of the
conference as a whole is TO be decided
tirst-the question of armament or
the far eastern question
The best way to clarity this situa-
tion as it lies on the table in front
Of the delegates is to recall some in
cidents not generally known which
came up during the weeks preceding
the conference. In the informal and
confidential negotiations which pre-
eeded the formal issuance of the invi-
tation TO the conference there is some
evidence that Americas original
thought was merely for conference
TO discuss armament.
When the British received this in
formal suggestion they replied by say
ing that far eastern problems were
closely connected with disarmament,
and that they would like to have
preliminary conference, to be shared
in by Japan, Great Britain, and the
United States for the discussion of far
eastern problems.
Motive Misunderstood.
At the time the motive of this sug-
Gestion was a little misunderstood, to
the disadvantage of the British. 1t
was thought that this was an effort on
Great Britains part TO make agree
ments about the far east a prelimin
airy condition TO agreements about
armament.
1t was also thought that it would
not seem courteous or proper to the
other nations invited to the main con-
ference to first hold a preliminary con-
ference, participated in only by a few
of the nations invited to the main one.
For these reasons America rejected
Great Britain's suggestion of a pre-
liminary conference. At the time
there was some danger of misunder-
standing of motives of the two ma
tions. In point of fact, however,
Great Britains suggestion arose out
of wholly accidental circumstances
and did not have the meaning ascribed
to il.
1t happened that at the time Great
Britain received the invitation there
was in London a meeting of the Dom
inion premiers, including those from
Australia and New Zealand. The lat
ter gentlemen made the point that
it would be inconvenient for them to
attend a conference in November. and
that they would like to have a prelim-
mary conference in America, covering
the question in which they were most
erested-namely, the far east-at a
time when they could attend it on
bpt tr hup tn hni nip
Urged Far East First
That is nearly all there was. to the
British suggestion. 1t ought to be
said. however, that it has been CON
tinuously Great Britains idea that the
far eastern agreement should come
first. When the formal agenda were
issued, with armament first on the
list of subjects, messages came out of
Great Britain expressing some disturb
ance. In fact, however the putting of
armament first on the list by America
had no more meaning than the mere
fact that in an alphabetical order "A" /
comes before F.. When the confer |
ence opened Saturday Secretary
Hughes showed some consciousness
of this difference of approach and |
said that while the point was not very
material. it seemed to him most de- !
sirable to take up first the subject |
about which the peoples of the world /
are most disturbed.
As the situation stands today, Amer /
ica is in the position of urging a set !
Element Of armament first Out of The !
settlement on armament flows natur-
ally by implication the disposition of .
the Anglo-Japanese alliance.
Automatically Eliminates
It is obvious that where a maximum
limit of armament is fixed for each !
nation that limit would not apply If /
any two nations within the agreement /
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