New-York tribune., 1921-06-26
Britain Backs
Harding Plan
OF Disar1llirl,g.
Preliminary Conferences
Reported Under Way;
To Reach Agreement
Before Farley Is Called
BY Garter Field

WASHINGTON, June 25.--The Brit
ish are in entire sympathye with Presi-
dent Harding's idea Of the processes
leading to disarmament agreement.
BY the same token they become nerv-
GUS at the mere mention Of carrying
out che ideas of Senator Borah and
those who agree with him in the
Senate.
This was authoritatively learned
from an unquestioned source by The
Tribune correspondent, though for
reasons which would be obvious if the
source could be mentioned, the name Of
The Tribune's informant cannot be
given.
Ambassador Harvey, it was learned,
has found the British very unwilling to
begin conferences on the subject of dis
armament. Indeed, it may be said that
conferences are proceeding now, but
there will be no public indication of
what is going on until complete accord
as to all details has been reached.
Then the public step probably will not
be the announcement of what has been
| decided upon, but the calling Of q con-
! ference. 1t may be said fatty that no
conference will be called by President
Harding until such an agreement has
been reached.
1t is entirely possible that nes an
nouncement will be made until after
=; terms have been reached secretly with
Japan as we'll, though this is not so
( clear and definite as with regard TO the
agreement with England 1t is thought
| in London, according to the information
received here, that the difficulty of
reaching an agreenelt ssylth n apan pan VII
| not be iIsurm ountable once Britain
and the United States have reached an
understanding with regard to their own
| armaments.
! British Taxpayers Demand Action
The British, according to the infor-
nation received here, are even more
worked up over the question of dis
armament than the American public,
! The reason for this, it is said, is that
the British taxpayers, especially the
| small business and professional man,
! understand more clearly than men in
| similar positions in the United States
| Just what the armament race is doing
! to their pocketbooks. The British have
! had heavy direct taxation for years. 1t
is fairly new in the United States, and
many taxpayers are inclined to place
the blame for the whole business on the
war. Judging from the mail received
/ by Senators and members of the House
the average business man in his de-
mands for a reduction of taxes does not
seem to single out any particular ap-
preparation which he thinks ought to be
cut. He just wants appropriations in
| general reduced and taxes lowered.
| An interesting angle of this is shown
| by the recent actions Of Congress in
an attempt at economy. In the army
and naval bills the number of enlisted
men was sharply cut, in each instance
far more than the heads of the War
and Navy departments desired, and in
each case more than the Senator's de-
sired. This difference between the
! House and Senate is another illustra-
to popular clamor.
| U. S. Continues Building Program
| But both houses approved the con-
| tinuance of the 1915 naval building
| program: although that is where big
money could have been saved, and al
though there is considerable element
| of the more progressive naval experts
who doubt the wisdom of building ships
designed such g long time ago in view
of the recent advances in the science
of naval architecture and in view Of
| the increasing doubt as to the value in
war Of the big ship.
In short, while there is much talk of
disarmament and while there is much
more clamor Tor reduced taxes, neither
| the country nor Congress, judging by
| this recent action, has really got SO
far along in putting its fingers on the
the real cause of high taxes as has the
/ British public.
| In his desire for disarmament Seua-
tor Borah and his group in the Senate
have heen attempting what the British
want so far as practical beginning
is concerned, but are far afeld as to
the method of reaching an agreement
| between the three countries most i'm
portant in this connection.
The British emphatically do not want
! tContinued on next page)