New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-08-01
Washington Feels 1t Is Ger
tain Harding's Bringing
Together of Powers viii
Mean Working e Compact
League Has Been
Put on SideIines
Hughes Named as Prob
able " World Figure That,
According TO Bryce, Con
ference May Develop
By Carter Field


the practical certainty that the arm
ament limitation conference will
succeed-for it is apparent to every
diplomat in Washington that the
powers involved would never take
the risk of having the conference
meet unless they were prepared TO
force at least the appearance of sue
cess-interest here to-day is centered
on what may follow it.
Dispatches from Toxic that there
is a suspicion in Japan that the
United States is trying to scrap tn.
League of Nations and substitute
something for it were Of equal in-
terest with the statement of Lord
Bryce, former British Ambassador
to the United States, 2hat some big
man might arise who would play as
important a part in shaping history,
though it is to be hoped in a differ
ent way, as Bismarck.
it is felt here, and that road leads to
the conference which is to meet in
Washington becoming the real associa-
ton Of nations. Perhaps some new big
figure, as Lord Bryce said, through
force of intellect overshsdowing the
conference and through it the world,
msy be making history next year
League on Side Lines
When President Harding designated
Colonel Harvey to represent the United
States on the Supreme Council, follow
ing repeated attempts of the League Of
Nations organization to establish a
contact with this government. the
oeathknell Of "the league" was sounded,
III tho opinion Of many keen interna-
tional observers here.
Now another step along the game line
is being taken, and the league again is
helrlessly standing at the side lines.
The disarmament conference. not only
is to take up quesliens of limiting ar
maments. 1t is to discuss the Pacific
and Far Eastern questions, mary Of
which are acute controversies between
the United States and Japan.
The first big job which this con-
ference must undertake, practically, is
to settle by mediation and arbitra-
ton simultaneously though naturally
neither term is used in any Of the Off
cial statements, and will not be used
officially in the discussions when they
occur-the differences between two of
the five most powerful nations of the
world.
Some would unhesitatingly leave out
France and Italy, torn as they are for
the present by the war and economic
conditions, and say the three most
powerful nations of the world.
Subject 50 Call7
This is the very kind Of function
for which the league was supposed To
be created Then the conference will
come to another function which it had
been hoped the league would under
take-the reaching of mutual agree
ment for armament limitations.
But the point which is interesting
Washington to-day is what will occur
after the conference has adjourned
with its purposes accomplished.
The real hopes OF soma Of the Presi-
dents advisers, and of some of the
diplomats who have been on the inside
of the negotiations throughout, is that
the conference will adjourn subject
to CALL"
1t is hoped that the benefits Of
this form of a meeting of minds,
against which no such attacks as were
made on the Wilson League OF Ma
tions could be leveIed, viii be OBJ
viously so beneficial that whenever
troubles arise if the future the CON
ference, with perhaps slight variations
in membership, will be called together
TO smooth out the difficulties.
In this connection it is pointed out
that from the very nature Of things
the agreement on armament limitation
must be subject to revision from time
to time, so that it would be practically
a necessity to have another gathering
at intervals of say five or ten years.
No suggestion has been made, It is
said, that would obviate this necessity.
Even the proposal that no limitation as
to number of ships or guns should De
placed on any nation, but that the
agreement should limit the amount OF
money to be spent annually, would not
make unnecessary future meetings.
RuSSJdS Future
As bearing on this il is pointed CUT
that probably after y five or ten yea
period has passed some nation not
included in the conference TINS ga%-r
may become menace through its
armaments. Russia is suggested as 4
possibility in this direction. TIE
Soviet government is reported TO be
indignant that Il was not included in
the present conference. This idea is
for the present greeted with smiles,
but it is the hope of every country i'm
voIved that Russia will recover, and
naturally if she should get on irm
footing within the next decade she
will become a power TO be reckoned
with in any move for international
peace whish had as one of its fea-
lures the curhing Of heavy appropris-
tons for national defense.
AS the natural tendency of every
body set up in any cosntry is 70 ab-
sorb more and more Jurisdiction as IL
goes along, it is suggested that Shi9