The spectator., 1921-09-16

1 like preliminary conference IT there had been insistence on n pre- | liminary conference the United States would not have been that no confer | ence at all would be held. There are constant streams of com munications between the foreign offices of the various governments and the State department of this coulNry. These streams will continue to flow until short time before the gather ings of the chiefs of the clans which now definitely has been fixed for No vember II, Armstice day.
 It is pretty generally believed now | tSat fair understanding of just what subjects will be discussed will Ee reached before the conference be- gins. There also is belief that in general way the State department will know in advance what the re- suits of the conference are to be. The | words which have come from Japan show pretty clearly what the attitude of the Japanese is. and in fairly spe- cific way one can judge of the atti- tude of Great Britain and France by what already has been made public concerning their needs and desires in 1 the case"
 Word has come from Great Britain that it has no intention further to urge preliminary conference on matters pertaining to the Far East. It was known that the various premiers of | the British dominions desired particu- 1 larly to have some definite understand l ing in advance concerning the Pacific questions which are to be brought be- fore the conference. but apparently the premiers have yielded.
 Objections to Preliminary Meet. 1 It would have been impossible for all of the nations to have sent repre- sentatives to the preliminary confer ence The United States government was wise enough to know that the unrepresented nations would object strongly to having the other countries ! arrange program in advance to which the unrepresented ones might not agree. Furthermore, If represent atives of some of the nations were given an opportunity to pass on cer- tain questions in advance country Ike Japan or Italy, not being repre- Sented at the preliminary conference. would have some reason to say that the other countries which were repre- sented at it had stacked the cards against It.
 The State department now Is call ing together large body of experts on foreign affairs. Some of them are coming from the Far East. some of them from Europe, and some of them from South America. They are all men who know the economic problems and some of the diplomatic problems of the countries in which they have eeen residing, and where in many cases | they have been representing Uncle Sans interests.
 Herrick Can't Find a Residence.
 The ambassador of the United States to France, Myron T. Herrick, is having Il time of It trying Ito find plce in the French cap ital to lay his head. There are no residences 10 let. If the United States
 
 | its minister in each capital of the world, the appointee could go directly 10 it knowing that at least he would have Il place 10 live. The United States government does not do things this way.
 Mir. Herrick, generally Is accounted rich man. but the riches of men ire | uuapfly orn nyn Mir Harri.lr unQuestionably is we'll to do. If he were not, the United States govern | ment might have wanted to send him to France as its ambassador, but he could not have taken the job although qualified for 1t, and beloved of the French people as unquestiolhbly he | Is.
 Paris is ovcrcrowded today because there were no building operations dur l ing the war. There Is not vacant place at this writing which Mir. Her. rick can find to turn into his abode. The ambassador has to live. ana more over he is absolutely compelled to en- tertain If today he wishes to give reception he will have to hire
  nicipal authorities permission to hold an outdoor hand-shaking party In the Place de Ia Concorde.
 Congress Will Not Remedy IL | No session of congress has been held In many years at which there was not some senator or member to propose in bill form that the United States provide at least lodging houses for Its ministers and ambassadors to foreign countries. Frank o. Lowden of Illinois, one-time member of the house of representatives and recently governor of his home state. tried dur ing the entire time that he was In congress to get action upon this mat ter. He failed where others failed be- fore his time, and where several have