The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1921-11-15
SETTLES PLAN
FOR PROCEDURE

| conference to the more secluded pre-
| clncts Of the committee room.
After a debate which developed
widely separated views on the advisa-
bility Of giving publicity to the ncgo-
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.
To one committee whose member
ship will be identical with that of The
full conference, was assigned the task
Of working out a solution for the Far
Eastern questions. Another, COM
posed of all the delegates of the five
great powers. was created to take over
the negotiations on the main topic or
armament limitation. Since only the
delegates of the five powers arc quail
lied to act on Armament limitation in
the conference the result in each case
will resolve the delegates into "com-
mittcc of the whole"
Although no official would make a
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 got a
glimpse of the proceedings only whcr
in their capacity as committeeman
the delegates have an important de-
csion to report to the confcren e rs a
whole.
The committee plan was said to
Havc been agreed as the most correct
method Of attack on the problems be
fore the conference, since it would
permit greater liberty of confidential
expression between the representa-
tives of the various governments and
would obviate much of the proccdurc
that would be necessary should the
session continue entirely in the OPEN
Another argument used by those who
favored the proposal was that il
| would facilitate such notifications o.
program as might become necessary
through changes in the personnel of
the various delegations and in the
| diplomatic situation generally con-
fronting the conference.
One result Of the decision may be
to make tomorrow's open session Of
the conference the last of these which
precede the period of actual decision
Of the questions on which the ncgotia-
tions hinge. The most optimistic Of
'clalS do not expect the committees
to be able to report without long
Judy and debate. 1t is pointed out
that there is no injunction against an
orally conceded 10 be remote ut the
open committee meeting but the like
'ihood Of such 4 development is gen
orally conceded to be remote at the
present state of the negotiations.
An additional result, at least at
the beginning, will be to permit the
whole body of delegates to deal with
subjects before the conference, instead
Of leaving the decisions to the big
five" or the "big nine" Creation of
subcommittees is provided for in the
plan, however, should that step be
found advisable.
The decision to create the arma-
rent 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 q later
meeting Of the heads of all nine of the
delegations seated in the conference.
II also was agreed that at tomorrow's
pen session an opportunity would be
given for any nation to express its
views on the American plan for limi-
tation of naval armament.
Details of what transpired at to.
Gay s meeting were kept in closest
confidence, but it was indicated that
Secretary Hughes, fo rthe American
delegation, had proposed open sessions
in principle, with frequent executive
sessions, tire results of which should
| be made public. Some of the other
governments wanted absolute secrecy
| 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 incidentally
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 it considered necessary to
amend. Suggested substitutions for
| unacceptable portions would be sub
mitted as the negotiations proceed.
In making these decisions the heads
of the delegations of the big five pow.
ers acted as a committee on pro.
gram and procedure with respect tc
the limitation of armament" and the
hoads of all nine of the delegations
acted as committee on program ant
procedure with respect to Pacific anc
Far Eastern questions" designation.
| conferred at the first n,cetino, of +b,