New-York tribune., 1921-11-01
1e Declares That Amer
ica's Confidence in Her
self Prompted Confer
ence Called by Harding
nies an Attack
Made on League
erts Result Will Show
Powers Can Reach an
: greement on Anything

An 1can AMBASSADOR, speaking to-
k.ig at the dinner given by the Pill
grims' Society to the British delegates
TO the Washington Conference on the
Limitation of Armament and Far East
ern problems, heralded the coming con-
ference as "an ordeal not of battle but
of faith" the underlying purpose of
which was no more a challenge to the
League of Nations than it was to the
Monroe Doctrine.
Ambassador Harvey reviewed the ac
ton of the American Congress respect
ing the limitation of the army and the
reduction Of naval appropriations.
which, he said, gave conclusive evil
dence of the American governments
confidence IN the outcome of the con-
ference.
Ihe real question confronting the
conference is not whether the nations
OF the earth can DE brought into agree
ment upon all things, but whether thew
can reach an understanding with re-
I spect to anything" he said. "It is to
be great test, not of the sincerity of
peoples but Of the capacity of existing
4 governments to satisfy;- ss.,e universal
longing for peace, prosperity and happi-
Greatly Generous Way"
dress by alluding to the circunsta SIS ncos aas
IN which the invitation to the Wasbs
5nfton conference was accepted bv the
British. WV W '"e
:! cannot permit to pass this opnor-
tunlty to make on behalf of NV coun-
try due acknowledgment of the greatly
generous way in which unfailingly and
with characteristic promptitude the de-
cislon OF the Prime Minister accorded
initiative OF the President" he said.
Never can or would forget that
i peaceful Sunday afternoon in July
wnen found Mr.. Lloyd George seated
under the spreading branches Of the
trees on his country place engaged in
animated conversation with the pre-
miers Of the don,inions. Quietly he
gram from my pocket and held it
coward him.
Read it, he said. 1 did so, slowly
4 and carefully.
"It is needless to inform yon-.snat
it was the message from the Secretary
OF State announcing the intention of
the President to summon a conference
/ Of nations and asking if such move
! would meet with the appreciation of
/ the British government.
"In a flash the Premier was on his
/ feet.
eve accept he almost shouted.
We accept gladly; we accept CRATE
/ fully. l do not need to read the tele-
gram. 1t is albright; we will do every
/ thing in our power to make the con-
ference a great success
$50 Vivid a Personality"
THAT is the pledge he gave and
4 which he has kept to this evening,
! when, as we all regretfully realize, his
heart is heavy from apprehension that
| the performance of more urgent duty
may prevent him from affording at the
| beginning the helpfulness of the great
and unexampled prestige which can be
fully rendered only through the actual
presence of so vivid a personality"
The ambassador told of the delivery
! of the invitation to the conference to
Lord Curzon, the Minister for Foreign
! Affairs, and the ambassadors call for
/ the reply which had been drafted with
i the conventional opening: "The Brit
i ish government confirm their accept
ance," etc.
Lord Curzon," said Colonel Har-
fvey, read the answer and remarked:
>This does not suffice Then he wrote
in With the greatest satisfaction
What is true of these two. heads
Of the British government the am
bassador went on, "is equally true of
all English statesmen, irrespective Of
their political or partisan procllvi-
ties"
Ambassador Harvey said that when
Lord Robert Cecil perceived in this
conference no challenge to the League
OF Nations he evsnced accurate dis
cernment," and< <the ambassador echoed
Mscount Bryce's assertion that it was
hope with which the conference was
/ regarded in America. and that Amer
I lea was not disposed to stanAa aloof
/ from Old World affairs.
Z Sincere and Single-Minded'
I Viscount Grey was no less gener-
Gus than he was just, the speaker con-
tinued, when he declared his belief
that the American government was
absolutely sincere and single minded
and worthy of the absolute trust of all
the other nations. He quoted King
{ ding and the latter's reply, and added:
Back of all their statesmen and
publicists stand in wistful hope the
entire peoples of our common race.
"Our own position is plain" he con-
tinued. america does not fear war.
Why should she? Geographically she
lis self-contained and self-supporting
in all respects. Her long coast lines
are inadequately protected. Some Of
her most splendid cities would appear
SIS tempting targets to the warriors Of
4 the seas. But the circumstance is rel
atively trivial. The greatest guns in
1 the world could not create the havoc
Of an earthquake such as that from
Continued On page three)