Norwich bulletin., 1921-07-11
PrOpOsesConferenc
 On Disarmament
Pres. Harding Has Approached Great Britain, France, Italy and Japan With View to Holding Discussion on the Question in Washington.

Washington, July 10,-President Hard ing has taken definite steps looking to conference in Washington of the prin- clpal allied and associated powers to discuss limitation of armament.
 He also has suggested to the interested nations that there be at the same time discussion of the Pacific and Far East ern prohlems with view to reaching a common understanding with respects to principles and politics in the far east"
 This announcement was made tonight by the state department by direction of the president in the following state ment:
 The president, in view of the far reaching importance of the question of limitation of armaments, has approached with informal but definite inquiry the gnWp of powers heretofore known as the principal allied and associated pow el that is, Great Britain, France, Italy and Japan to ascertain whether it would be agreeable to them to take part in a conference on this subject to be held in Washington at time to be mutually agreed upon. If the proposal is found to be acceptable, formal invitations for such conference will be issued. It is manifest that the question of limitation or armaments has a close re- r I lens and the president has suggested that the powers especially interested in these problems should undertake in con nection with this conference, the consid- eration of all matters bearing upon their solution, with a view to reaching com mon understanding with respect to principles and policy in the Far East. This has been commun icated to the pow CTS concerned and China has also been invited to take part in the discussion re- lating to far eastern problems"
 The departments statement was made public without comment and the fact that the president had suggested to the interested nations a joint discussion oi the far eastern and Pacific problems came as something of surprise in Washington. The departments statement did not make clear what nations had been approached on these particular sub. jects, but aside from China, which wa. specifically named, 1t was assumed that Great Britain and Japan were amons them.
 MT. Harding's move with regard tt limitation of armament was described bl
 some of his advisers as the second ste]
 in the working out of his internationa
 program, adoption of the peace resolu
 tion having been the first Before tha |
 sent out informal "feeIers" on the sub ject of disarmament. He now has gon
 3 step forward in the development 0
 this program.
 Proposals for a conference on worl, disarmament were made in congres 'some months ago and resolution b Senator Borah, republican. Idaho, askin
 the president to invite Great Britain an
 Japan to confer with the United State
 on the question of limiting naval con
 struction has been made a part of tn
 naval appropriation bill and accepte both by the senate and house.
 The president, however, apparently ba
 gone much further than the suggestion i the Borah resolution. His inquiries hay
 been addressed to France and Italy a
 well, and there is nothing in the depart
 rent announcement tonight to sugges that the limitation of disarmaments b confined solely to naval construction. When the disarmament question wa discussed in congress various proposal were made that any conference on thi ) issued subject contemplate reduction C armies as well as navies. but some ser . ators and representatives opposed ir
 cluding France and Italy on the groun
 that France could not be expected in tn
 then state of affairs in Europe to couser [ to any material reduction of its Ian
 forces.
 3 So far as has been made known. Pre-. ] ident Harding offered no objections 3 the adoption by congress of the Bora r resolution, but some of those close to tt . president opposed the measure en tf l ground that 1t would limit the confe enecs to three powers and also to il l. subject of naval disarmament
 Senator Borah said tonight that l . preferred to withhold comment on Il e state department announcement until f had had an opportunity to study it.