Omaha daily bee., 1921-07-12
Peace Plan
Formulated
ByHarding
Emphatic Denial Issued That
Disarmament Conference Is
Called to Relieve Eng
lands Situation.
administration Optimistic

and China to participate i'll a con
ference in Washington on limitation
of ornaments and the problems o1
the Pacific and the Far East. world
conference which already seems tc
be assured.
differences that Great Britain hat
urged the United States to initiate
the conference because of her EN-
barrassment over renewal OF the
Anglo Japanese alliance were declar-
ed to be without foundation.
1t was admitted that the presi-
dent was we'll aware of the attitude
of Great Britain and its decire for
i such a conference as he has pro-
,.1rosed and that conversations have
been held informally ON the accept
ability of such All invitation by Great
Britain and the other powers. but
any suggestion that the United
States did not originate the pro-
posals, both as to the discussion Of
\ armament limitation and removal of
: obstacles to it, was emphatically re-
pudiated
Optimistic Over Outcome.
The administration. it was dis
closed, is very optimistic concerning
the reception Of the invitation, which
is fraught with such momentous pos
sibilities. and believes favorable re-
plies will soon be received from Eng
land, France, Italy. Japan and China,
China having been asked to partici-
pate particularly in the discussions
involving the problems of the Pa
Cihc and the Far East
Officials were gratihed to learn
officially, from reports of Lloyd
Georges speech to parliament. that
Great Britain will join heartily in the
conference and were confident that
there would be no hesitancy on the
part of the other powers concerned,
not even Japan, to accept the invita-
tion. England, entering willingly
! into the discussion in advance of
decision on renewal of the Anglo
Japanese alliance, would force Japan
to respond favorably to the Harding
invitation, officials declared, even If
ii might do so reluctantly. But it
is the general view here that Japan
will not respond reluctantly and that
it Is Just as anxious as the others
sto have Pacific and, far east prob
lens discussed with view to just
settlement that will remove the chief
remaining hazards to world peace.
May Delay Peace.
1t is the view here that the pro-
posed conference of the five allied
and associated powers and China
may have an effect OF delaying con-
clusion of American peace negotia-
tions with the central powers, al
though there is no intention to delay
these negotiations il delay can be
avoided. But even should this be
deferred, the confident belief is that
out of the forthcoming negotiations
will come what the world has been
hoping for and what the treaty of
Versailles failed to provide, genu-
inc practical, workable guaranty OF
world peace.
1t is not going too far to say that
the administration is hopeful that the
proposed conference will be con-
sunnated by convention OF the
powers with respect to the linlita-
ton of armaments and the settlement
OF threatening situations i'll the
Pacific and far east, which might
make Mr.. Harding's suggested asso-
citation of nations, as substitute tor
the league of nations, unnecessary.
1t is possible, administration leaders
concede, that out of the conference
eventually might come the proposed
association of nations, but it is
argued that should the heavily y-armed
nations agree to so limit their arma-
ments that war from them would be
remote and if the principal possibili-
ties of war between these powers
are removed. the danger Of world
is eliminated in the most
effective way.
By a peculiar coincidence, con-
rress took final action today on the
naval bill, containing the Borah dis
armament amendment, and sent the
message to the president. Mr.. Hard
ing is expected to sign the bill
promptly, but so far as the Borah
amendment is concerned it stands
simply as an expression of the de-
sires of congress.
Senator Borah of Idaho. author OF
the amendment. continued to main
tain complete silence on the admin
istrations action. He declined to
express either approval or disapprov-
al. His views on. the subject, how
ever. are well known. Only few
weeks ago he issued statement to
the effect that bringing in the ques-
ton Of general disarmament on land
would lead to endless complications
and ultimate failure of the negotia-
tons.
While the informal but definite
inquiries" made by direction Of
President Harding appear to limit
the scope of the conference to dis
cussion of the limitation of arma-
ments and questions affecting the
Pacific and the Far East. was preva-
lent in congress, the feeling that
the whole subject of the preservation
OF world peace might be discussed
and that out of conference would
grow an organization of nations
which the United States would join.
That thought was stressed today by
: several congressman.
Look for, New League.
Il believe the outcome of the con-
ference will be the ultimate forma-
ton of an association Of nations"
said Representative Kelley of Mich
igan, the senior representative of the
house on the joint congressional
conference committee. which adjust