Arizona republican., 1921-11-15
Conference Agrees To Committee Plan To Avoid Publicity
IRepubIIcan A. p. Leased WIreJ

WASHINGTON, Nov. 14-Real work of the armament negotiations was transferred today from the open conference to the most secluded pre- cincts of the committee room
 After a debate which developed widely separated views on the advis- ability of giving publicity to the ne- gotiations, the big five, comprising chief delegates of the United States, Great Britain, France. Italy and Ja- pan, settled on the committee plan as the only acceptable solution. To one committee, whose member ship will be identical with that of the full conference, was assigned the task of working out a solution for Far Eastern questions. Another, com posed of the delegates of the five great powers was created to take over negotiations on the main topic of armament limitation. Since only delegates of the five powers are qualified to act on armament limita- tion in the conference, the result in each case will be to resolve the dele gates into committee of the whole"
 Although no official would make a prediction prior to the assembling of the ''new committees the presump- tion everywhere tonight was that the meeting would be held behind closed doors and that the public would get glimpse of the proceedings only when in their capacity as committee men, the delegates have an important decision to report to the conference.
 The committee plan was said to have been agreed to as the most Gi irect method of attack on the problems before the conference, since it would permit greater liberty of confidential expression between representatives of the various governments and would obviate much of the procedure that would be necessary, should the ses- sions continue in the open. Another argument used by those who favored the proposal was that 1t would fa- cilitate such notifications of program as might become necessary through changes in the personnel of the car ious delegations and in the diplomatic situation generally confronting the conference
 One result of the decision may be to make tomorrow's open session of the conference, the last Of those which precede the period of actual decision of the questions on which the negotiations hinge. The most opti-
 
 gates to report without long study and debate. It is pointed out that there is no injunction against an open committee meeting, but the liklihood of such a development is generally conceded to be remote at the present state of the negotiations An additional result, at least, at the beginning, will be to permit the whole body of delegates to deal with subjects before the conference, in stead of leaving the decisions to the "big five" or the "big nine" Crea- tion of sub committees are provided in the plan, however, should that step be found advisable.
 The decision to create the arma- ment committee of the whole" was l reached at a meeting of the heads of l the delegation of the five powers, and was adopted for the handling of Far Eastern questions also at a later meeting of the heads of all nine dele gations. It was also agreed that at tomorrow's open session, an oppor- tunity would be given any nation to | express its views on the American plan for limitations of naval arma- ment.
 Details of what transpired at to- days meetings were kept in closest confidence. but it was indicated Sec retary Hughes, for the American del- egation, had proposed open sessions in principle with frequent executive sessions whose results should be made public. Some other govern ment wanted absolute secrecy and (Continued on page a