The Washington herald., 1921-09-19
SAYS YSU.S.FATE
IS NOT STAKED !.
ON ARMS MEET
Officials Here Believ e
Conference Affords
Sincerity Test.
ADMIT CONCLAVE E
FACES DIFFICULTIES
Lloyd George and BRAND
May Not Attend
World Farley.
MY ROBERT J. BENDER

The Harding administration Is
certain that good will come from
the forthcoming conference on ar
mament. 1t is confident and sin
cere in it's efforts for the accom-
plishment of its ultimate objects.
But it does not believe that either
the fate of the nation or the pres
tige of the Republican party is
staked on the outcome.
There will come out of the con-
ference, 1t is. said, one of two things
of value-an accomplishment of the
objects sought; or a public assess
ment of blame by American spokes-
men in event of failure. And, even
should no actual reduction of ar
maments follow, benefit is certain
to come, it is held, from discussion
and from the illumination of the
causes which are provoking cor
tinued naval expansion.
This sums up the attitude OF
leaders toward some recent devel-
opments which indicated a degree
of uncertainty in some quarters.
These developments include:
Lloyd George May Not Attend.
First-A disposition on the part
of the Japanese statesmen to re-
gard the American position in the
conference as politically weakened
because the United States, having
called the conference. must crown
its invitation with successful ac-
complishments.
Second-An attitude Or the part
of the recognized Chinese govern
ment at Peking. which has been
followed with authoritative sug-
gestions that this government
would welcome representation of
the Sun Vat Sen or Southern Chi
nese republic, established at Can
ton. on the Chinese negotiating
delegation
Third, cable reports the purport
to which has been current in we'll
Informed quarters here for some
days that Premier Lloyd George,
of England. would not attend the
conference and that Premier BRAND
would be dissuaded from his pres
ent intention of heading the French
delegation
Hughes Defines Purpose.
The suggestion already has been
publicly made by President Hard
ing and Secretary Hughes that the
millennium must not beexpected
from the conference. The state-
ment of Hughes that its purpose
was not disarmament" but prac-
tical measures for limiting arma-
ment, it will be recalled, was pre-
ceded by an address of the Presi-
dent at the War College. declaring
the time may never come when
there will be no more wars.
Now comes word from London
and Paris that Premier Lloyd
George and BRAND, respectively.
may not attend the conclave. This
has been rumored in diplomatic
quarters here for some time-in
fact ever since Hughes declined to
hold a preliminary conference on
Far Eastern questions before the
main Washington conference con-
vened. 1t was pointed out then
and has been reiterated since-that
Lloyd George feared complications
in an attempt to solve both great
problems simultaneously. 1t was
added that the political positions
of both himself and Premier Bri-
and would not permit of their re-
turning to their respective homes
to report anything but success at
Washington; that If they felt doubt
about the result of the armament
conference, they would probabl
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