New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-09-08
Story Sent Out by Ma.
tional Compittee Ques-
tions Harding Sincerity;
Scores Lodge as lingo
Attempt Seen to
Arouse Japanese
Viewed as Effort toMenace
Conference With MANY
Demands From Abroad
By Carter Field

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7.-The Demo
cratic National Committee has Just
fashioned and put into the hands Of
the Japanese the most potent weapon
the representatives of the island king
dom will bring to the Conference oA the
Limitation of Armament 1t is signed
story by Ricard Linthicum sent out
officially from Democratic headquarters
here in which appear, amid a general
gas attack on the conference and any
possibilities of good coming out of it,
the following statements:
"The record of President Harding as 4
Senator and as Chief Executive shows
him to have been unsympathetic to-
ward disarmament or world peace
"The record of Senator Lodge in the
Senate shows him to have been n jingo
throughout his entire career and tho
aEtithesis of the spirit which should
govern conference of this sort par
tioularly in his attitude toward Great
Britain and Japan, two of the principal
conferees."
Every barrier and hurdle which has
been suggested by any of the critics
OF the conference anywhere is brought
out and dwelt upon in Mr.. Linthicurl s
article, the general effect of which
Upon the readers is desired to be- a2-
parently, that the jingoistic leaders Of
the Republican party have staged a
hopeless bungle, with the intention of
bunking the voters.
Leaders Fear Effects Abroad
But the practical effect of the ar
ticle, it is feared here by many prom
inent Democrats as we'll as Republi-
cans, is in it's effect upon the repre-
selitatives of other countries. For ex-
ample, take this paragraph from the
story:
at is reported that Ireland, Corea,
India, Egypt and possibly Mexico will
make demands for the settlement of
their grievances by the confcrence.''
representatives of some of these into
action More encouragement than they
usually need is provided by the Demo-
cratic National Committee. Immedi-
ately after the paragraph quoted ap-
pears this:
at is also reported that South and
Central America, which have not been
invited to take part in the conference,
will have special observers here, as
their military establishments might be
affected by any hard and fast decision
of the conference"
Just. how this could happen is not
explained.
Then the article goes on to praise
the demands of Senator Pat Harrison,
who is closely allied with the Cox
White Moore faction now controlling
the Democratic National Committee,
and Senator's Hiram johnson and
Borah, noted as anti-British AZ itators,
for open sessions of the conference.
Prominent Democrats Dismayed
1t is curious fact, which has been
noted by many observers here, that
every one who was disappointed or dis
gruntled at the calling of the con-
ference by Mr.. Harding, either for per-
sonal or political reasons, and whether
they feared they might lose personal
credit or that Harding might gain some
popular approval, has been insisting on
open conferences.
Coupled with the fact that the Ad-
officials and every expert
enced diplomat in Washington believes
that open conferences would result in
complete and utter failure to get any
where, this leads to the speculation as
to whether those advocating open con-
ferences have private reasons for wish
ing the conference to fail.
Some very prominent Democrats
men who are among the real leaders,
although not identified with the faction
in control of the national committee
were dismayed to-day when newspapers
carrying the Linthicum story appeared
in Washington.
"We centered our fire on the Repub-
lcan irreconcilables for wrecking the
Wilson peace plan," said one of them to
the Tribune correspondent o-day, "and
now our own organization is knitting the
Harding program in advance"
See Opportunity for Good
Several prominent Democrats gen.
orally identified with the McAdoo wing
Of the party-and therefore now more
or less submerged not hesitated
in private conversations in the last few
days to express admiration for the
idea of the armament limitation con-
ference.
One of them told the Tribune cor
respondent a few days ago that he
thought if the conference should prove
a success it "would save the Harding
This was a man, it
might be added, who was almost as
ardent in advocating the League of
Continued next pasc)
vEV n Mr