The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-11-15
NEGOTIATIONS ARE
TRANSFERRED TO
COMMITTEE ROOM
Big Five Settles on Commit
tee Plan as Only Solution
Acceptable to All Mem
berS of Conference

Washington, November 14.-The
real work of the armament negotia-
tions was transferred today from
the open conference to the more Sc
Guided precincts of the committee
room.
After a debate which developed
widely separated views on the advisa-
bility of giving publicity to the nego-
tiations, the big five, comprising the
chief delegates of the United States.
| Great Britain, France, Italy and
Japan, settled on the committee plan
as the only acceptable solution.
The one committee, whose member
ship will be Identical with that of
the full conference itself, was as
signed the task of working out So
luton for the far eastern questions.
Another, composed of all the dele
gates of the five great powers, was
created to take over the negotiations
on the main topic of armament limi-
! tation. Since only the delegates of
the five powers are qualified to act
on armament limitation in the con-
| ference, the result in each case will
be to resolve the delegates into a
Committee of the whole"
Behind Closed Doors
Although no official would make u
prediction prior to the assembling of
the new Committees" the presump-
ton everywhere tonight was that the
meetings would be held behind closed
doors and that the public would get
a glimpse of the proceedings only
| when, In their capacity as commit
| teemen, the delegates have an i'm
| portant decision to report to the con-
| ference as a whole.
The committee plan was said to
have been agreed to as the most di-
rect method of attack on the prob
Ions before the conference since 1t
would permit greater liberty of con-
| fidential expression between the rep
resentatives of the various govern
ments and would obvibte much of the
procedure that would be necessary
should the sessions continue entire
| ly in the open.
Another argument used by those
who favored the proposal was that
! II would facilitate such modifica-
lions of programme as might become
necessary through changes in the
personnel of the various delegations
and in the diplomatic situation gem
orally confronting the conference
One result of the decisionsmay be to
make tomorrow's open session of the
| conference the last OF those which
precede the period OF actual decision
OF the questions on which the nego
tiations hinge.
Much Debate Likely
| The most optimistic officials do not
expect the committees to be able to
report without long study and de-
bate. 1t is pointed out that there is
no injunction against an open COM
mitteo meeting, but the likelihood of
such action Is generally conceded to
be remote at the present state of ne
| gotiations.
An additional result. at least at the
! beginning, will be to permit the
whole body of delegates to deal with
| subjects before the conference in
stead of leaving the decisions to the
big five" or the big nine" Crea-
ton of subcommittee are provided
for In the plan. however. should that
step be found advisable.
The decision to create the arma
ment committee of the whole" was
reached at a meeting of the heads of
the delegations of the five powers.
and was adopted for the handling of
| far eastern questions. also at later
meeting of the heads of all nine of
the delegations seated in the confer
ence. 1t also was agreed that at to-
| fHoTTOW open session an OppOf-
tunity would be given for any ma
ton to express its views on the
| American plan for limitation of naval
armament.
Details Kept Secret
| Details of what transpired at to-
| days meetings were kept in closest
confidence. but 1t was indicated that
| Secretary Hughes, for the American
delegation had proposed open ses-
sions In principle with frequent ex-
ecutive sessions. whose results should
be made public. Some of the other
governments wanted absolute secrecy
1 and the committee plan was decided
on by way of a compromise.
The naval armament proposal of
the American government came be-
fore the delegation heads incident
ally in their discussion of procedure,
and at the suggestion of Premier
BRAND of France it was decided that
each interested nation should first
inform the armament committee how
much of the American plan it could
accept and what parts 1t considered
necessary to amend. Suggested sub
stitutions for unacceptable portions
would be submitted as the nego-
tiations proceed.
In making these decisions the
heads of delegations of the five big
fCouttnued ON PaUe 1,xx0l