The New York herald., 1921-11-17

Correspondent Of the London Morning Post.
Post.
Special Despatch to THE NEW York HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau.
Washington, ID. c., Nov. 16.
For the time being the spectacular
work of the conference done In the
presence of the public Is over The
serious work done in the privacy Of the
committee room is about to begin. The
public has been so fed up on thrills that
IT does not take kindly to secrecy. 1t
hugely enjoyed the show. The big men
interest it. Americans love oratory.
They would willingly sit for several
hours and hear noted statesmen speak,
especially IL every speech was as dra-
matte In its surprises as that Of Mr..
Hughes on Saturday.
The truth is the public was a trifle
disappointed at yesterdays session.
After Saturday anything was possible.
everything might be expected and the
public, reading In some newspapers that
Mr.. Hughes was going to follow up his
success at the opening day by announc-
ing in equally specific and precise terms
the American programme for the settle-
ment Of Far Eastern questions. expected
much.
or course Mr.. Hughes did nothing of
the kind. Naturally he never had the
faintest idea of doing it, because he Is
too wise 4 man. One does not make the
same epigram twice IL one wishes to
preserve a reputation for brilliancy.
Mr.. Hughes scored and he was content
to rest on that success.
There was an alternative offered the
Japanese. noting the popularity of open
diplomacy. would follow Mr.. Hughes
lead and lay all their cards on the table,
L,,& 80 Aff Wa aVn
now told they will at the first oppor-
tunity in committee bring forward their
proposals. That 1 am told, in japanese
official quarters, is not their intention.
The Japanese of course have their own
plans they know what they want, what
they can surrender and what Is their
irreducible minimum but 1t is not the
methods of Japanese diplomacy to dis
close everything before getting at least
some inkling Of their opponents moves.
The Japanese maintain that as the
obligation was imposed upon the United
States to advance proposals for the limi-
tation Of armaments, so 1t Is now fncum-
bent upon the American delegates to
outline their Far Eastern policy, and 1t
Is not for Japan to suggest policy.
There is of course, In this. as might
be expected, a certain amount OF ma
nnuvring, of playing for position. OF
seeking to profit by technical advan-
tage, for while we have been treated to
an extraordinary amount of the mod
ern diplomacy In the open the old Adam
still survives in the diplomats and they
have not entirely cast out the traditions
of their training.
/ Still IL is to be noted as not only
hopeful but as one of the most crafty
ing signs of the success of the confer
ence that the Americans and Japanese
are closer than they were few weeks
ago. That much has already been ac-
complished by frankness and the at
.nosphcre which has been created.
There is is still wide gulf between
the two nations; there are still, as every
sensible person recognizes many stiff
problems to meet and numerous hard
knots to untangle. but the labor seems
less formidable than II did when the
invitations to the conference were Is
sued.
| shall not at this time allow myself
to be fatuously optimistic, although in
these surroundings II is difficult thing
to escape. The reception given to the
American naval proposals by the British
and Japanese Governments has, In the
eyes of the Americans, swept away every
obstacle. Americans already see the
happy finale and the curtain to go
down a few weeks hence. This. to speak
bluntly, Is nonsense. The naval details
will require some time to work out and
the discussion will show sharp differ
ences of opinion. but 1t will not. In my
belief, be dangerous.
Much more difficult, as have always
maintained, Is the settlement of Far
Eastern questions, but the changed at
titude on both sides argues well. The
stumbling block la the Anglo-Japanese
alliance, yet plans have been made for
its removal without wounding the feel
ings of either Great Britain. the United
States or Japan. More than that 1t
would be unwise to say at this time. To
go further might create false hopes.
Sufficient to say now that what has
already been done is encouraging.