The New York herald., 1921-11-14
Rumor Mongers Who Told
of Steel Trust Influence
Unable to Explain.
LABOR PLEASED BY PLAN
Machinists Already Seeking to
Turn Their Efforts From
War to Peace.
Special Despatch 10 TIE NEW YORK HERALD
New York Herald Bureau,
WashinrtOn ID. C. Noy II

New York Herald Bureau,
Washington, ID. c., Noy. I3.
SO far as the effect of his confer
ence speech upon domestic policies is
! concerned, Secretary Hughes appears
to have duplicated the action Of the
! hero of one of Stephen Leacock's
/ Nonsense Novels who, according to
Prof. Leacock, mounted his horse
and rode off in all directions"
There is hardly critic or group Of
critics of the Harding Administration
that has not been left wandering
| about in search of q weapon with
which to attack Mr.. Hughess position.
And if any one has a good live topic
out of which an anti-administration
issue can be made he will be received
with open arms by several groups
now In Washington who came here
for the conference prepared to make
a great hullaballoo over the dark and
| secret diplomacy which they had We
| hemently predicted would surely be
developed.
The strongest voice that was heard be-
fore the conference opened was that
which demanded open conference, with
open covenants. openly arrived at"
Much to the CONSERVATION of the Old
| World diplomats and the surprise of
practically the whole world, Mr.. Hughes
satisfied that demand before the con-
ference was an hour old.
Blow Struck at Radicals.
Another blow was struck by Mr.
Hughes at progressives and radicals OF
both political parties who have been
whispering that the four American dele
! gates were made to order to carry out
the mandate OF the Steel Trust. Accord
| ing to their predictions, there would be
/ no chance of real limitation of naval
programmes because the steel interests
make most OF their money out OF armor
plate.
While not talking for publication to-
/ day, this class of prophets bit groggy,
have fallen back on the position that al
! though they must admit that Mr. Hughes
! has done a wonderful thing they are
convinced that Root and Underwood will
never agree to his stand. The fact that
the four American delegates agreed
! unanimously upon the position taken by
| Secretary Hughes and that President
Harding gave it his emphatic approval
they refuse to believe.
Having told their story, this element
of American radicals are apparently 60
ing to stick 70 1t, so they are now
|. grouping Arthur J. Balfour whom they
call the Tory of Tories, with Mr.. Root
End SEM tor Underwood and are making
dark predictions that these three will line
| up to defeat Mr.. Hughes's plan.
Some of the more radical OF the
women, in spite Of the position taken by
the fifteen organizations In meeting this
afternoon. are rallying and expressing
disappointment that Mr.. Hughes did not
call for the abolition Of the manufacture
of poison gases. With them are the
! ultrapacifists who want ell war ma
! terials obliterated with one magnificent
! gesture.
Extremists "Pushcd 10 the Left"
| All these extremists have been pushed
/ far out to "the left" by Mr.. Hughes, to
whose support all the moderate radicals
! have rallied. So far they have been un-
able to think up anything in the shape
| of a criticism that will draw TO them
any outside support.
The apprehension on the part OF some
/ of the British delegation that labor might
] complain Of the potcntialitles for In-
I employment lurking in the Hughes plan
! appears to be completely discounted so
! far as American labor Is concerned by
the action already taken by the Inter-
national Machinists Union. This organl-
zation, meeting nt Rochester. in SeDtem-
Der, 1920. unanimously adopted resolu-
tions instructing its president, William
III Johnson, TO take UP with the Inter-
national Federation of Metal Workers,
the headquarters OF which is at Bern.
Switzerland, the matter OF world wide
action by the metal workers looking to
an agreement to stop the manufacture of
munitions OF any sort and turn the
efforts of the metal workers toward other
fields. This action insures Mr.. Hughes
the support OF large majority OF tho
labor employed in American shipyards.
However skeptical somo of the Ameri-
can politicians OF the reactionary type
may be, all but few OF the big navy"
men IN Congress are falling In line and
expressing the sincere hopo that Mr..
Hughes's plan will succeed.
Beyond the usual private expressions
OF dstrust the anu-British and anti
Japanese elements are having nothing TO
Say. Perhaps all OF the dlstrustful
groups and the millennium seeking or
ganizat!ons will find their feet within
short while and begin 10 criticlse and
condemn. But so far they have been
unable to unspike their gums Mr.
Hughes completely spoiled for them the
frst week end OF the conference.