Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-11-15
COMMITTEE PLAN
IS ADOPTED BY
ARMS GUT MEET
Real Work of the Confer
enCe Is Transferred From
Open Meetings to More
Secluded Precincts.

Washington, Nov IA (by the AS
sociated Press Real work of the
armament negotiations was trans
ferred from the open conference
to the more secluded precincts of
the committee room.
After a debate which developed
widely separated views on the ad-
viGablity of giving publicity to the
negotiations, the big five, compris-
ing chief delegates Of the United
States, Great Britain, France, Italy
and Japan, settled on the commit
tee plan as the only acceptable
solution.
Far Eastern Questions.
To one committee, whose mem
bership will be identical with that
of the full conference, was assign
ed the task of working out a solu-
tion for Far Eastern question. An
other, composed of the delegates of
the five great powers, was created
to take over negotiations on the
main topic of armament limitation'
Since only delegates of the Fl
powers are qualified to act on az
lament limitation in the conferenL
the result in each case will be to
resolve the delegates into a COM
mittee of the whole"
Although no official would make
la prediction p. ior to the assembling
of the new committees, the pre-
sumption everywhere tonight was
II the meeting would be held be-
hind closed doors and that the pub
lie would get a glimpse of the pro-
ceedings only when, in their capac-
ity as committeeman, the delegates
have an important decision to re-
port as the most direct method of
attack on the problems before the
conference, since it would permit
greater liberty of confidential eX-
preston between representatives OF
the various governments and would
obviate much of the procedure that
would be necessary, should the ses-
sions continue in the open. An
other argument used by those who
favored the proposal was that 1t
would facilitate such notifications
of program as might become neces-
sary through changes in the per-
sonnel of the various delegations
and in the diplomatic situation gem
orally confronting the conference.
One Result of Decision.
One result of the decision may
be to make tomorrow's open session
of the conference, the last of those
which precede the period of actual
decision of the questions on which
the negotiations hinge. The most
optimistic officials do not expect
delegates to report without long
study and debate. 1t is pointed out
that there is no injunction against
an open committee meeting, but
the likelihood of such a develop
ment is generafly conceded to be
remote at the present state of the
negotiations.
An additional result, at least, at
the be- inning, will be to permit the
whole body of delegates to deal
with subjects before the conference.
intsead of leaving the decisions to
the "Big Five" or the big Nine"
Creation of subcommittee are
provided in the plan, however,
should that step be found advis-
able.
The decision to create the arma-
ment "sommittee of the whole" was
reached at a meeting of the heads
of the delegations of the five pow
ers, and was adopted for the hand
ling of Far Eastern questions also
at ater meeting of the heads of all
nine delegation. 1t was also
CONTINUED on Page Two)