Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-11-09
Agenda Still Limited
to Armament and
Far East
Not Likely Present Program
Will Be Enlarged-Success of
Conference Will Mean Calling
: Of Another for Other Purpo-
ses
By Mark Sullivan.

National Political Correspondent OF
the New York Evening Pest
Washington, November S-With-
out much doubt. about as useful
service as can be done for the Amer
lean people on the third day prcced-
ing the armament conference is one
Of Qualification. For that clarlfca-
ton, the starting point, and the stay
ing point is that the conference is
called for two purposes and two only,
namely, the limitation of ornaments
and the settlement of Far Eastern
questions. Under these two main
subjects are a large number Of sub
sidiary ones, but none that go outside
the boundaries of the main ores.
What the conference is 10 consider
is written down in a formal pro
gramme which is called the "agen-
da" That aSenda has not been
changed materially since it was first
made up. 1t is true. the agenda can
be enlarged by the conference itself
after the sessions have begun; but it
is probably safe to predict that the
efforts of a Considera BILE number OF
the more prudent and surc-foOted
persons in the conference Will be di-
rcCted towards keeping the pro
era mme where it now il. 1t is oc-
oasionally sd Il that Harding has
20 N,-np1a's whole Ipu rHnl.l
box of troubles" That is true. but it
is not true in the sense in which il
is said. Harding has opened the
Pandora box. he has taken out two
particular troubles. and he has then
carefully closed the box again. Some
one else during the course of the con-
ference. may open the Pandora box
and take out some additional
troubles. Some ono may even open
the box and ave it open. and all the
troubles may be about our ears But
what seems to your correspon-
dent to he much more likely is that
the box will he kept closed until arm
ament and the Far. East are disposed
of. Thereafter the box may be
opened again and another group of
troubles taken ont and disposed Of.
To put it another way. it is unlike
~ that the conference will look upon
itself as favine a commission to CON
slider the state of tho world in general
and do something about it, The I'M
duly prevalent misapprehcnsion
about the scope Of the conference is
reflected by morning headline
which said: Birth Control to be CON
sid"rcd ut the Conference" Even
those who think Of the coming con
ference in the same terms as the
Paris conference are inaccurate. 1t
is Very different. both i'm the occasion
that gives rise to it and in the pur-
pose of those who will guide it, 1t
is not to he denied that the two sub
iects to which the conference is Inn
tied each have widely ramifylng re-
latlons with multitude Of other
subjects. Neither can it be denied
that any individual or any national
delegation within the conference can
readily propose that the conference
consider separations, or national
debts. or the stabilizing Of exchange,
or the tripartite treaty, or interna-
tlOnal courts, or an association of
nations" or the League Of Nations, Or
any part of il. Some of the nations
regard it as to their advantage 10
take MP some of these additional
questions. But il is much more like
~ that if the coming conference is to
lead to something larger II will come
about in different way.
II the conference is successful in
the two purposes for which il is
called then it is decidedly likely that
\ separate new conference will he
called, in the reasona bly, near future.
to take up some further definite sub
-ectS. A series Of separate but re-
lated conferences. extending over
long period, is not at all improha BILE,
assuming that the present conference
is successful.
Bnt FOR the present. armament and
the Far East are the only subjects
under discussion
copyright. 1921. by y. Y. Evening
Post. Inc)