The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-11-22

crowd yesterday attended the third
open session of the conference on dis
armament. The same personnel oc-
cupied the floor. with some changes.
Thus the white turban which eniivens
the proceedings had slipped still fur.
ther back on Its weSIars. head ana
had lost some Of it's pristine freshness.
In the press seats there was more
movement, but there was still the
bored expression of those cynical gen.
tlemen who are the professional
onlookers OF great events. Tho Sem
ate and the House were mostly absent.
being occupied in taking money from
industry In the tax bill, and the crowd
outside watching tho notables como
and go had somewhat dwindled.
But in spite of q lcssened tension
during the early part of the session
1t proved to be both vital and quietly
dramatic. For one thing, It brought
to the surface the underneath current
Of thought which everyone here has
known from the beginning has been
in the minds of the delegates. And
this thought 10 that, called for The
actual reason for the conference 10. or
has been, tho imminence Of another
war.
Result 10 Undotermlned.
Whether the war Ii avertsd or
merely postponed remains to be seen.
At the present moment japan 10
drinking from the conference loving
cup, Germany has . chancellor who
apparently does not want war, ana
nobody knows anything about Rus
clared against war and any nation
with a concealed will to make war
has received its warning.
Nobody quite knew how far BRAND
would 20 when he rose to his feet
yesterday. Would he demand guar
antics? Would he bring up repara-
tons? He was in . strategic posi-
ton to force an issue. and II there
In one thing the conference prefers
to avoid. that ono thing II the fore
ing of any concrete Issue In the open
sessions.
But he did not There was . Ger
for II In doubtful II even his own
people knew in advance Just what
he was going to say. He 10 a men,
tally agile but physically lazy man.
and he prepares nothing in advance.
But the tension relaxed ~ he went
OH.
At first he addressed the Delegates
and the house In general. but b.
fore long he turned toward the Brit.
ish and American representatives ana
addressed them directly. 1t would be
an excellent thing II some OF the
shouters IN Congress- would attend
these meetings and learn the mean,
ing OF true oratory; the value q
Briand's repression, OF Baifour's
hesitating sincerity, Of Hughea' clear
cut speech and brevity. BRAND made
less outcry oyer. the traGedy .ct
France than one Coureosmen once
made over q smo'ksstack On the bank
Of the Potomac. -7T~
Germany and Russis FeareA. =,
The reports Of Bfiand's speech Will
show its tenor. He believes that Ger.
many has not only the win but the
power to make war, and that nations
can arm secretly; that q nation may
reach a point where. having lost all By
war, she sees only In fresh wars q
chance to recover; that Germany has
not money to pay her debts. but has
capital. plants, and plans for such
war. And he pointed out that Cor
many ID not alone in this Will to make
war. but that Russia has already
made one wild dash INTO Europe. 80
He was approaching the application
of this conviction Mr.. Balfour leaned
back and watched him closely, and
even the press gallery was very still.
But he only suggested, not demanded.
cooperation in preserving the peace
OF Europe, and the British delegates
drew a long breath. He merely said
that France should not and must not
feel that she is morally isolated among
her enemies.
Probably no demand would have
been as effective rs that single phraae.
1t put the situation on a high moral
plane, made reply necessary. and
brought into action that strange. in
tangible thing called the honor Of ma
lions. And Mr.. Balfour accepted the
challenge.
For the first. time, Alfred Balfour
yesterday showed those qualities
which have made him what he IL in
England. Kindly, urbane, and elo-
quent, he fell into the spirit of
Brands speech very quickly.
Without resentment he observed
that. IL was always presumed that the
isolation Of England prevented her
from understanding the position Of
France but that this was not %. And
he proceeded Immediately to give
France the assurance of the support
of his government in case Of attack.
But, in the Balfour manner, he added
a ekillfully couched warning to the
pledge, and this warning was against
any aggressive move on the part Of
France.
Detachment Noticeable.
The close observer watches with in
terest these small, polite, and skillful
tits between BRAND and Balfour. War
and its necessities makes strange
bedfellows. But It Is a curious fact
that BRAND only comes to life in the
conference when he Is on his feet.
Even while Mr.. Balfour and later Mr..
Hughes were accepting his challenge
he appeared detached and uninterested
and made notes on a pad. Possibly
he has no faith in words any more or
even in treaties. Possibly 1t II, OILY
the loneliness of the American otGh.
boy In Paris. with no French words
to help HIM out. But his detachment
is very noticeable. .-.....
Mr.. Balfour's explanation Of the off.
ference between the principles Of land