Evening star., 1921-11-13
EbAtFOUR IS HAPPY
lover FIRST SESSION
Magnificent Opening" Lord
Riddell Cables to Lloyd
George.
HOPEFUL OF AGREEMENT
Pacific Problem and Anglo-5apa-
nese Pact Sink Into Second
Place, British view.

Il feel ten years younger" vas the
comment Of Arthur Baltous q Lors
Radden when they emerged from th.
arms conference chamber ysSterda,.
Lord Riddell was quick to send Il
cable to Premier Lloyd George. Civ
ing his own impression Of the far
reaching pronouncement ry the
American Secretary OF Stste. His
brief message to the premier hsid:
Magnificent opening. E@errnody
most hopeful Of fruitful resuItA"
Lord Riddell. who is in Wssf'ing-
ton not only as the representative
OF the Newspaper froprictors .sSso-
citation OF Great Britain, but II act
as one of the principal liaison officers
between the press and the British
delegation. sent to the British press
Immediately the detailed propoSAi of
the United States on the question Of
limitation OF armament. with fha fe-
quest that copy be immediately
sent to the premier SO that Lloyd
George may be made acquainted With
It without delay,
Because of the prognosicatien dur
ing the last week that Seeretary
Hughes would unequivocally lay
Americas cards on the table the
British representatives were prepared
to hear a dramatic statement OF
Americas policy. But they were not
prepared to hear on the very first
day such q vital proposition an il
turned out to be. The expression "f
gratified thought, amazed Surpriss'
on the faces of both Mr.. Balfour su'
the first lord of the admiralty. Lori
Lee Of Fareham. as they listened -
the unfolding of Americas prop"-,-
tion to scrap her great building p""-
gram as an earnest evidence OF h'r
desire to end the competition in a.:
feet it had on Britain's chief spoke
man.
1t was an event unparalleled in tx"
or more years of conferences for a
country to SO frankly. SO Loyalty. la:
bare its policy. and members OF n,
British delegation expressed III,
feeling that Secretary Hughes busl-
nesslfke lead to the conference in lis
very first moments would undoubteo-
ly influence the negotiations from
now on.
Experts Consider Proposal.
At o'clock yesterday afternoon Ad-
miraI Earl Beatty and other British
naval experts met to consider in a
general way the American limitati ton
Of armament proposition. Further
conversations probably will be held
today, and tomorrow the whole dele
cation, PRESIDED over py MI bdiloui-
will discuss il.
On the authority of a high British
representative it was said last night
that Great Britain had no intention o.
proposing any other procedure than that
decided upon by the United States al
though the British view favored the
consideration in the first instance Of the
Pacific problems. holding that 10 ad-
vance any distance in the matter OF
agreement on limita ton Of armamen;s
there must be preliminary agreement
on q Pacific formula But the idea nov
seems to be to let America take tn"
lead and to approach tho conference
problems as this country suggests. In
this Britain will undoubtedly have the
support Of Canada. but the attitude OF
icai. These two elements Of the British
empire feel that real security can only
be obtained after there is agreement or
the vital Pacific issue. For the moment
gated the Pacific issues to second piac-.
Mr.. Hughes has asked the nations t"
leave their guns outside before really
tackling other questions under disput
Japanese Pact Obseured.
AS to tho Anglo-Japanese pact that
also sinks into second place in point
Of importance now that America has
determined on settling first the ques-
tion Of armament. 1t is rather
thin thread that binds Britain and
Japan as it approaches its twentieth
birthday, but thick enough still TO
present a problem when the time
comes to break it or preserve it. pos
sibly in q much more elastic form
than now exists. Full agreement be-
tween the chief powers in tho Pacific
would automatically finish II. II the
conference terminates only in q par
tial success, then Australia and New
Zealand would press to have 1t re-
newed in some form that would give
them the protection which they think
could only be obtained under circum
stances by which Great Britain ex-
erted q moral influence on Japan. The
foreign delegations yesterday. par
ticularly the British. were great
impressed by the support given Sec
retary Hughes by the members OF
Congress who were present
while Mr.. Balfour and his col
leagues enjoy plenipoteniary powers
it 10 certain that as soon as any
possibility of agreement in principl'
is reached on Americas limitation n;
armament and naval holiday propcsi-
tions they will be placed befo"
Premier Lloyd George by the delega