Evening star., 1921-11-26
SEVERAL RESULTS
OF PARLEY seen
Hating Of Naval Race Re-
garded as One Definite
Conference Benefit.
BY n. O. MESSENGER.

What tangible and practical re-
suits are likely to come out of the
armament conference"
| This question is frequently pro-
pounded and discussed on the side
lines of the great international meet
ing. as the passing days and march
! ing events forecast in broad and
general way a successful outcome.
| People want to know just what the
big men of the conference think can
be presented that the world. can in
/ stantly recognize as of value to
| civilization.
Halt Naval Race.
gested in appraisal Of the value of
| the expected accomplishment is the
stopping of the contest for naval
! supremacy by Great Britain. Japan
and the United States. 1t is the ma
| jority opinion in conference circles
that this can be- done. And the peo-
pie who express it usually add, If
the conference did nothing lese, that
outcome alone would repay the ef-
\
Another practical result deemed
possible is the removal of irritating
conditions existent in Asia. which. If
left alone, would be conducive, sooner
or later, to war between powers OF
, such magnitude as to make the war
another world catastrophe. 1t Is be-
, lieVed that there can he measurable
success in this undertaking, too, even
| though the slate should not be wiped
clean.
Suggestion Of President.
And now comes the latest sugges-
tion from no less source than the
chief executive of the United States
that the doing of these things will
prove the efficacy of world confer
ences. will demonstrate that it is
| possible to deal in the spirit Of mu-
/ tual goodwill with world problems
| without the pre-necessity of hard and
! fast treaty stipulat1ons.
The United States. it is argued.
| through this conference. which came
into being on the initiative of this
government. refutes the charge that
America is holding aloof from par
| ticipation in world affairs or taking
an attitude of selfish isolation. That
I
| litical use in this country more than
once Its virility will have been
sapped for the future, it is main
! tained, when the record of achieve
ment of the conference is spread be-
! fore the nations.
Hope for Adoption.
Next week is expected to show ma
terial advance toward the completion
of a report to the committee of the
! whole of the five major powers from
| the board of admirals on the Amer
lean plan for limitation of naval arm
ament. 1t is confidently expected that
after long and careful consideration,
with possibly amendment here and
| there in the first tentative drafts. a
! report will reach a plenary session
! and be adopted.
, When that is done, the race for su-
premacy in naval building will have
been halted. At this particular stage,
with Japan still contending for her in
! creased ratio. the negotiations are in
tenseness Of a degree regarded as un-
] susceptible of relaxation.
No Cause for Apprehension.
A high official of this government
w.1o is in position to know every de-
tail of the conferences work, talking to
a group of newspaper men who have
| implicit confidence'in his frankness and
| veracity Of utterance. made the en-
phatic statement yesterday in effect
| that no condition has arisen in the con-
ference warranting the apprehension Of
! an impasse or of failure; that on the
contrary, the proceedings are being
marked by an admirable spirit pro-
phetic of a happy outcome.
! When the Curzon-Briand incident
| has blown over, or the attention Of
, the public attracted to other phases
| of the conferences work, it is ex-
pected there will be a lull in the
discussion of land ornaments. In
J fact, there will be nothing to induce
, to such discussion here, as the sub
! ject is being held in abeyance by the
| committee intrusted with 1t, for the
| time being.
It is explained in official quarters
| that the time Is not propitious to
| bring up the subject to the possible
| diversion of effort in the directions
which the conferences work is now
\ taking.