New-York tribune., 1921-11-27
Land Armaments, Poison
Gas and Military Use
of Disease Germs Are
Among Possible Points
Aims at Effect on
New Conferences
Public Sentiment Invoked
to Spur Statesmen to
Action for Humanity
By Carter Field

By Carter Field
WASHINGTON, Nov. 26.-An
appeal to world opinion to force
agreements on every question found
impossible Of settlement at the pres
ent Conference on the Limitation of
Armament will be made by the Har-
ding Administration Immediately
after the conference adjourns. This
was made known to-day by high
spokesman Of the Administration.
The why and wherefore Of every
failure to agree, just what the rea-
sons were and by what nations ad-
'vanced, and why it was found i'm
possible for the present conference
to reach a solution will be told in
great detail.
This is second step of the same
policy which caused Chairman
Hughes at the inception of the con-
ference to lay down program for
naval armament limitation, publish
ing all the details of the plan to the
world, SO that public opinion in every
country could be focused on the sub
ject. The thought behind that, of
course, was that perhaps the tax
payers of the various countries in-
volved might be more inclined to
favor adoption of the American pro-
gram than either the delegations or
the foreign Offices of their own coun-
tries, and this might possibly be
brought to bear on their delegations.
No Pessimism in Plan
This intention Of the Administration
does not indicate any pessimistic atti-
tude toward the probable results of the
present conference. Quite the con-
trary is the case. Tremendously i'm
portant agreements on the limitation
of naval armament, on the Pacific and
Far Eastern questions generally and
Chinese problem are expected. 4s
But already it has become manifest
that certain things probably will not
be done by the conference. One Of
these is the limitation by agreement Of
land armies. Another probable one
although hope has not been entirely
abandoned-is the use Of poison gas.
A third is an agreement not to use dis
ease germs in war
Some of these things are so ter
rible that one is aghast to think of
them," said a high spokesman of the
Administration to-day. "For instance,
it is no exaggeration to think of the
killing, almost instantly, of millions
of people as the result of the tre-
mendous strides made in developing
poison gas and other novel and new
means of warfare. Irwin paints
picture of this in his book, The Next
War; which all Of US hope will never
occur
"Now it may be that we will find, for
one reason or another-especlall as
there are those who argue that it is
impossible to reach an agreement not
to use gas, because, no matter what tho
nations may agree, when the pinch
comes every available weapon will be
used--that we will not be able to reach
an agreement to abolish the use Of
these terrible means of war these
means which kill combatant and nom
combatant alike, and are justified on
the theory that whole peoples make
war nowadays, and not merely the
defenders of the nations, as in clden
times.
World To BE Given Facts
"The right thing to do will be to tell
the world just why we did not agree to
abolish gas, for example, or any other
of these terrible kinds of warfare The
world should be given all the facts as
to every failure of the conference TO
agree on any restriction as to warfare
which may be advocated. Then the
that in the future-such will be the
attitude of world opinion--it may be.
possible to accomplish things which
now seem hopeless"
This determination of the Admins
tration to appeal to the world for more
progress in the direction of armament
Limitation and peace, at the same time
pointing with pride to the accomplish
mcnts which the conference may make.
is part and parcel Of President Ear
ding's expectancy, made known at thu
White House yesterday, that ther.
would be annual meetings OF the con-
ference, and that it would rapidly be-
come the association Of nations which:
he promised the American people dur.
ing the campaign preceding his elec-
ton.
Meanwhile, the conference is grind
ing away. although not so spectacularIt
as at the outset, on the details of
agreements it is hoped to reach on
naval armaments limitation and on the
Chinese problem.
Battleships Crux Of Controversy
The naval situation, 1t was made
snown to-day, is all hanging on the
nnat decislon as to capital ships. While
delesatea themaelxa. a. ~