Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-11-04
u. S. PROPOSALS
WILL CONVINCE
FOREIGNERS
To Offer Concrete Plan
for Sweeping Arms
Reduction
Also Embraces Consideration of
Troublesome Problem of Far
East-Will Seek to Keep Par
leys in Open to Give Chance
for Public Opinion

Washington, Nov. Shy A. PD-
The policies and program of the
American delegation to the armament
conference are beginning to assume
definite outline, and if the eXpecta-
tons of official Washington are real
lied the opening day of the confer
ence will see A sequence of develop
ments something like this:
Presentation. at the outset, of
concrete American plan for far reach
ing reduction of naval ornaments.
Consideration, along With this plaa,
of such troublesome problems of the
Far East as may naturally project
themselves into the picture.
Meantime. an effort by the United
States TO keep negotiations in the
open SO that public opinion may
exert its pressure toward practical
accomplishment.
Salient features of the American
naval ornaments proposal already
have been established and although
details remain to he fixed. there is
reason to believe the reductions sug-
Gested will be sweeping enough to
convince the whole world that the
United States meant business when
IL called the powers into conference.
1t would cause no surprise if the
leading naval powers found it neces-
sary to submit the plan of this gov
crnment to long and careful study
before they determine on their course
of action. Should the reduction pro-
posed prove unacceptable it is BELIEF
ed likely that the American dole
gates, having once taken the initia
tive. would invite the other powers
to present in their turn some con-
crete counter proposal.
All the evidences surrounding the
conferences Of the american Big
Four with their naval advisors have
pointed TO inclusion of set OF
maximum reduction figures in the
plan TO be laid on the table by this
government. No official has been
willing to reveal these figures but
there has been apparent a desire to
lay bare at the very outset of the ne
gotiations the full extent to which
the United States would be willing
to go in scaling down the world $
naval armament.
The Impression that such a
method may not lead to an imme-
date agreement has been given color
by the apparent intention of some OF
the other powers to pursue a directly
opposite course ana enter the con-
ference setting high figure as the
measure of the naval armament they
consider requisite to their national
safety. Japan already has indicated
she would suggest the necessity of
maintaining a navy equal to any
which might enter her sphere in the
Far East, proportion which naval
experts say is well in excess of her
present power.
The naval ornaments question is
considered certain to be the first to
occupy the active attention of the
conference, but it is not the eXpecta-
ton of officials here that the live
problems Of Far Eastern diplomacy
will remain long in the back aground.
AS the conference is viewed in pros
poet, it is believed here that the
diplomatic and armament angles of
the situation may develop simutan-
eously. so that instead of having a
fixed program of consecutive sub
iects the delegates will fall into the
practice of considering his or that
problem as occasion may bring it to
CONTINUED on PAGE 4-CoI. 81