Evening star., 1921-11-17
HARMONY GOVERNS
|. ARMS CONFERENCE
BY n. O. MESSENGER.


This day. beginning with glorious
sunshine and balmy air. finds the
! American capital the scene Of the
rapid unfolding of epochal events that
are destined to have far-reaching in
fluence upon the welfare of the world.
| The celebrity with which progress is
being made is the marvel of all be-
| holders and amazing to the old world
diplomatists here assembled.
| These visitors. having fresh in mind
| the long-drawn-out and tortuous in
trigues attendant upon the Paris
peace congress, appreciate the con-
trast of the frank, friendly and
measureably open negotiations now
in full gallop. No check is yet dis
| cernible in the swift advance toward
successful conclusion of the momen-
tous deliberations.
| An era of good feeling among the
representatives of the nations ap-
pears to obtain. Justifying Secretary
Hughes forecast of what would be
the result of a friendly conference
conducted along the lines laid down
by President Harding's invitation. the
assembled legotiators are bending
every effort toward reaching an un-
derstandins and avoiding the raising
of obstacles.
Suspicious Disappear.
Preconceived apprehensions and
suspicious are vanishing under the
white light of sincerity and the
warming glow of the spirit of good
will toward men and peace on earth
| which is all prevalent.
One of the high Representatives Of
the British group. in his talk with
newspaper men today pointed out
that the chief aim of the conference
is not to cheaper the expense of con-
prevent wars.
At several points throughout the
city. serious-minded men sat down
today to work upon the various
phases of the undertaking leading
up to the desired consummation.
nical plans for Iessening the naval
strength of the three great powers.
thereby reducing the tendency to war,
or whether it was the approach to
the political problems whose nom
solution would hold the germs of
work went on apace.
NO hule ~ Majority.
Down in the Pan-American build
ing in the Mall the committee on
Pacific and far eastern questions was
in readiness to receive suggestions
and comment upon the Chinese pro-
posals submitted yesterday and i'm
mediately made public to the world
in all their interesting and potential
fullness.
1t remains to he seen whether they
can be adopted speedily or must be
subjected to further analysis and per-
haps modification before receiving
the unanimous assent which will be
necessary to put them in force, for it
must not be forgotten for a moment
that this is not a meeting where the
ma jority rules, but conference
wherein each participant must be sat
isfied and accept the outcome gra-
ciously. in spirit as we'll as in the
letter.
President Watching Proceedings.
In the background non-participat-
ing, but ever watchful and we'll in
formed, ready with advice and coun-
sci when it is necessary. is President
Harding, who initiated the conference
and who. with Secretary Hughes,
shaped in the beginning the course
now being followed.
/ President Harding and Secretary
Hughes find themselves even in this
early stage of the great enterprise
justified in entertaining feelings of
the most profound satisfaction over
the progress of events.
In the larger background are the
American people. and beyond them
the peoples of the civilized world, fig
uratively bending their eyes upon the
American capital. where history is
IN the making, and fixing their hearts
upon the benefits expected to be re-
ceived.
Hopes Of Americans.
The people of the United States are
very clear in what they expect Of
the conference, in the broader aspects
of its contemplated work. First of
all. of course, is desired result from
action in the two-fold direction now
being pursued. which will lessen the
possibility Of war. They demand and
expect to secure limitation of naval
building and armament.
They want the settlement of. the
far eastern pro1,eElS to lind the
Anglo-Japanese alliance abandoned.
without committing the United States
to anything like a specific alliance
with a combination of nations. The
Senate of the United States reflects
| the opposition of the majority of the
people. expressed In the elections of
1920. to hard and fast pacts of such
character with foreign countries.
They want the American sentiment
favoring the open door" crystallized
into definite program which will
assure an open door in fact and not
! in phrase.
They want the Shantung question
settled on a basis different from that
proposed by the Versailles treaty and
they believe. that it can be SO dis
posed of without giving hurt to