Evening star., 1921-07-29
Peace ParIeys Must Be
Aboveboard and Free From
Intrigue.
SECRET ALLIANCE FEARED
IN ADVANCE CONFERENCE
President and Mr.. Hughes Outlin'
ing Procedure, Which Will Be
| Strictly American.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.


The United States government means
to deal fairly by all the powers in
vited to the disarmament conference
and therefore is frowning upon the
suggestion of a preliminary parley.
Right at thee start the American
hard on one of the things that
brought such a 'deluge of criticism on
the Versailles conference. namely. the
practice of a few powers getting off
to one side and framing a program
which became a source of suspicion
on the part of the other nations who
were not in on the secret prelim-
inaries.
Procedure to BE American.
President Harding and Secretary
Hughes are outlining principles OF
procedure which are American rather
than European. Having invited all
the great powers to conference, the
American government would not feel
that it was exactly fair to have
preliminary gathering of few ma
tions ahead of time.
The United States is anxious to
hold the conference at a time that is
gained by hurried meeting early in
the fall in which matters would be
hastily discussed. Whatever discus
sion there is on the agenda or pro-
gram must be available to all powers.
There will be no secret understand
ings. alliances or ententes within the
conference.
Expressions from American sources
along this line were so emphatically
announced today as to leave no doubt
of what will be said officially If other
governments actually propose to the
ence as suggested in London press
dispatches. Two reasons are ad-
vanced from abroad in favor of d
preliminary conference. One is that
the dominion premierS can't wait till
next November. and would like to talk
over matters first at Washington or
elsewhere in the United States within
the next month or two. and either
come back for a full conference later
or send representatives who have
been familiarized with what occurs at
the suggested preliminary conference.
The other is that a meeting of few
ahead of time will expedite the work
Of the many laters0n. -
Would ObIige Premiers.
The United States is willing to
oblige the dominion premiers and
move the date of the conference up
to October or even late September.
but under no circumstances will any
which includes only few of the
powers, or which attempts to dispose
of far eastern matters hurriedly,
while disarmament questions are in
definitely postponed.
If any of the dominion premiers
pass through the United States on
their way home they will be well
coined and be given every oppor-
tunity for discussion with the Presi-
dent and Secretary of State. but
positively nothing will be agreed
upon by the United States until all
the powers have been consulted.
The London suggestion of prellmi-
nary conference has caused quite stir
in official circles. Officials declined to
surmise what the reasons might be back
Of the proposal On the face of it. the
move springs from desire to select a
time and date convenient for the do
minion premiers. But is that all? Some
observers here think Great Britain would
like to talk to America privately. with
her dominion premiers present. and frame
a program which would enable Great
Britain to proceed discreetly in the larger
conference, wherein she will appear on
the one hand as the ally of Japan and
on the other as the friend of the United
States.
Japan's Motives Questioned.
Thi. view is not shared entirely. how
believe Japan herself. by reason of her
intimacy with Great Britain. would not
object to a special conference between
Great Britain's representatives and the
United States and Japan, with the special
purposc of excluding China.
Japan, it is contended, would like to
have matters fixed up before China
appears on the scene. The Japanese
have never looked with favor upon
the inclusion of China in the discus
sion. because of the capacity of the
Chinese for spelling the best laid
plans of diplomacy. Whatever the in
spiration may be for the suggestion
of a preliminary conference. the I'M
portant fact is that it will not be
held America disapproves, and being
the host and the nation. too. which
sent out the invitations the likelihood
is that the viewpoint of the United
states will prevail. The first rounds
in the inevitable skirmishes between
old world and new world diplomacy
are in progress. and the United States
has spoken its view without -equivoca-
tion-there must be no cliques or pri-
vate alliances.
copyright. 1921