New-York tribune., 1921-06-05
Allies Cool to
Hardingg's Plan
To Keep Peace
Supreme Council. DisIiked
i'm Influential Circles and
Facing New Peril, Called
an Unstable Foundation
No Disarming ''Feelers''
Anglo-Japanese Pact Likely
To Be Modified on Lines
To Meet u. s. Objections
By Arthur S. Draper


Copyright 1921. New York Tribune Inc
LONDON, June 4-The attitude Of
the American government toward inter-
national affairs continues TO be mat
ter OF confusion to the British. The
Tribune's dispatch from Ottawa saying
that Canada opposes the renewal of the
Anglo-Japanese treaty, The Worlds
story quoting officials of the United
States government as saying they have
no objection to the treaty and rather
hope that it will be renewed, and other
dispatches saying that President Har-
ding has put out feeiers in Europe on
the question of disarmament are re-
printed here with much interest. An
other cablegram quotes Carter Fields
dispatch from Washington in The Trib-
une on the Presidents plan for forming
an association on the basis of the Su-
preme Council
AS far as the treaty with Japan is
concerned, the indications now are that
it will be renewed, although some modi-
fications to satisfy the United States
are likely.
Careful inquiry here fails to lend any
credence to reports that President Her-
ding has inquired in London what re-
ceptlon disarmament conference pro-
posal would get. No government official
has received any query on the subject,
Ambassador Harvey has said nothing
which Premier Lloyd George has con-
sldered official, and if the ambassador.
as is reported, has sounded out the
Supreme Council, Mr.. Lloyd George
would know
Authoritative quarters here deny un-
qualifiedly all reports that the British
government has been approached on tho
subject Of disarmament, and it is added
that no inquiry of this nature is ex-
pected from Washington fer several
weeks at least.
Smuts Is Extremely Hostile
If the story that President Harding
has decided on the Supreme Council as
the basis of his world association is
correct, the assertion can be made with
considerable degree of accuracy that
his suggestions along this line will re-
celve far from cordial reception, not
only among the neutral nations of Eu-
rope and South America, but among the
Allies themselves. Colonel Jan C.
Smuts, of South Africa, is extremely
| hostile in his criticism of the Council.
and his words carry weight here. Pre-
| nier Massey of New Zealand is equally
dissatisfied with that bodv.
In England there is a great and DOW
erful body OF opinion opposed to the
| prolongation of the life of the Supreme
Council, and if there should be a change
IN government here this sentiment
would become even more widely er-
pressed. Italy is sick of the Council.
A critical time for the Supreme Coun-
Gil will come at the next meeting at
Boulogne. If Great Britain and France
iail to agree then on the Upper Silesian
question, and it can be said, paren-
thetically, that no fundamental change
IN their disagreement has come, despite
Premier Brands recent conciliatory
speech in the French Chamber of Depu
ties, the unity of the Council will be
gone, and thenceforth the Treaty Of
Versailles will be matter for individ-
Ual Interpretation.
/ Council Unstable. Is View
All this means that, in the opinion of
European leaders, the Council would be
an unstable basis upon whicn to build.
1t is equally true that nobody is salts
fed with the League of Nations as il
exists to-day, and even its own mem
bers would not be averse to change in
its makeup. The Westminster Gazette
says on this subject:
For US in Europe the league holds
the field in default of better plan.
but we are quite prepared for any
change which shall give a wider prac-
teal scope to it and enable the people
OF America to participate.
In the mean time, the willingness Of
the United States, Great Britain and
Japan to cooperate in keeping an un-
armed peace will Immediately test their
capacity to act together"