Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1921-12-28

Japan Announces 1t Will Not Bulge on Shantung
and Hints It Wants Interpretative Conditions
Omitting It's Main Islands From Treaty Scope;
French Want Germany in Similar Agreement
at Home; Continuing Proposed by Harding.

French Want German
at Home; Continuing
Washington, Dec. 27.-(By
gestion involving interesting p'
day from French circles in the
It was a hint, advanced inform;
for news of the decisions Of tt
might be willing to agree to
marine strength if the other p
treaty designed to preserve pc;
AS tentatively outlined. such a treaty
would be similar in purpose to that just
concluded to cover the Pacific, and
would have as it's signatories, France,
Great Britain, Italy and Germany.
Should they desire to do SO, it was
said. the United States and Japan
might also participate in the agree
ment, although the inclusion Of the
four European powers. including Ger
many expressly would be considered
indispensable.
Can't Get Together Fully
The submarine controversy has re-
vealed so wide a difference of opinion
among the powers that the arms dele
gates are seriously discussing plan
to leave the whole question of auxiliary
warship tonnage to later international
conference.
So far, consideration of the project
has been entirely informal, with con-
ference leaders outwardly reflectiug a
hope that the present negotiations may
yet bring the submarine problem to
a solution. In many quarters, how
ever. there are growing signs of dis
couragement over the prospect and an
accompanying tendency to examine
ponement plan.
Other Parieys to Be Proposed
In highest American official circles
it was said Tuesday that a concrete
proposal for future conference might
be laid before the arms delegates with
in few days. President Harding was
said to feel such a conference would be
logical development of his policy of
indicated he had communicated his de-
sires to the American delegation.
The submarine tangle apparently was
as far as ever from settlement
Tuesday night, despite conferences be-
tween the American delegates and the
plenipotentiaries of Japan and France
the two powers which are holding out
against the American compromise pro-
posal.
The naval committee will resume its
sessions Wednesday. but neither the
French nor japanese expect to be IN
a position to modify their objections to
the American plan.
Deadlock on Shantung
The negotiations over Shantung al
so took on more serious aspect Tues
day when the Japanese, after receipt OF
| fresh instructions from Toxic, let it
be known that they were not prepared
| to make any further concessions in
their exchanges with the Chinese over
return of the Using TaoITsinan- Flu
railroad. The Chinese already have de-
clared they can go no further toward
compromise. but in some conference
circles there still is hope that the two
groups may be brought together.
Meantime the new four-power Pa
cific treaty, already signed by the Unit
| ed States, Great Britain. France and
Japan, got back into conference dis
cussions through suggestion from the
Japanese quarters that the four pow
ers agree not to apply the terms of
the pact to the principal islands of the
Japanese empire. In view of differ
ences of view developing in the United
States and Japan as to the meaning
of the treaty, the Japanese were said
to be considering the suggestion OF
such an interpretative agreement.
Intricate Pacific Situation
An Interpretation not applying the
treaty to the major Japanese islands
would be reversal of the understand
ing said to have existed among the del
egates when the treaty was signed. II
would be adverse also to the interpre-
tation announced by the American del
egation, but in harmony with that
voiced by President Harding Should
the Toxic government decide formal,
to suggest such an agreement, the
move might precipitate an intricate sit.
uation in the conference.
While all of these informal sugges
tions were occupying the attention oi
many of the delegates during the re
cess of the naval committee, several o1
| the conference subcommittee hell
meetings to discuss collateral issues.
Harding Wants More ParIey
In the deliberations Of the sub-di
visions of the conference there appear
ed growing tendency to leave detail,
of the Washington negotiations to b,
worked out by continuing commission
which would report directly to the var
ious foreign offices, or to future con
iferences. Two or three such commits
sions already have been decided, and /
u,a@ Indicated in adyv,; int ~ - &;or o;~.l>