The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-11-14
PARIS PAPERS ARE
FAVORABLE TO The.
u. S. PROPO', S
Editors Say Conference Con-
vened With the Formal In
tention of Reaching Pos
tive Results
By Associated Press

Paris November 1S.-Dispatches
outlining the developments at the
opening of the conference at Wash
ington take first place in all the Paris
newspapers today. Extensive ex-
cerpts are printed from President
Harding's address, the speech by Sec
rotary Hughes, giving the American
programme for a 10-year naval holi-
day. and the comments thereon by
Premier BRAND and A.. ]. Balfour.
acting head of the British delegation.
The newspaper comment is generally
favorable.
THE Washington conference con-
vened with the formal intention of
reaching positive results" is the trend
of the editorials in newspapers of all
shads of politics, except the Com
munist. which insist that a bourgeoise
conference can never achieve peace.
President Hardings high idealism
as evidenced in his address is termed
by the Petit Parisean "a ray of sun
light coming to rekindle the heart of
our people, so greatly touched by the
war"
The Figaro declares the friendship
of America always has been infinite
ly precious to France.
The Journal. while approving the
American proposals set forth by Mr..
Hughes, says the problem of the con-
ference in this respect Is the attitude
to be taken by Japan.
The Washington conference COM
menced with a dramatic surprise"
says the Temps, which calls Mr..
Hughes plan "at the same time defin-
lite and grand"
Some difficulties which the Temps
sees in the way of the plan are,
fistly, of a political nature Great
Britain will have to ask herself II
the obstacles she sees are also OBJ
stacles in the eyes of the dominions;
secondly, of q technical nature, linn
iting of naval fleets for 10 years, 1t
says, is senseless unless the capacity
for construction is also limited
Furthermore, international limitation
of ornaments involves international
control, which must be organized out
side the League of Nations, to which
the United States does not belong.
Finally, new methods of destruction
may be invented. ~ $1,000 3
The Journal Desbats says the
Hughes plan involves the abrogation
of the Anglo Japanese alliance.
we understand the Americana
stubbornness on this question:" says
the newspaper, but we beg of them
to reflect that the official rupture of
this past would merely give them the
appearance of satisfaction. There is
no need of a formal alliance to bind
two countries with regard to certain
policies. The only real guarantee is
regulation of the questions which an
tagonize their peoples"
Jacques Bainville, editor of La Lib
erte, says the tonnages proposed by
Secretary Hughes indicate that the
United States means to retain the adj
vance and superiority it has over
Japan.
IF the hypothesis is admissible
that the British forces will join the
japanese" says the writer, the
United States would be in a position
of manifest inferiority. Hence, it is
not difficult to understand that one
of the most important points in the
American policy is the rupture of the
Anglo-Japanese treaty. The leading
interest in the conference will lie in
this"
Secretary Hughes bold and pre-
else proposal" says the Intransigant,
will put any power refusing to fol-
low the United States in an unfavor-
able position in the eyes of the whole
world. Such apparent bluntness. TO
which diplomacy is not accustomed,
may, therefore, be real subtlety."