Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-10-12
American Members Hope For Re-
duction Of Taxes and Less Fric-
ton.

The preliminaries of the Washing
ton conference on the limitation of
armament will be set in motion to-
day, when the American delegation
will hold its first meeting at Sec
retary Hughes Office to consider
questions of policy and procedure.
Upon President Harding and the
American elegates-Secretary OF
State Hughes, Elihu Root and Sena-
tors Lodge and Underwood--de-
wolves teh responsibility of leader
ship in this great international
gathering, and there will be an
early meeting between the EXecu-
tive and the delegation to discuss
the policy to be pursued in guiding
the deliberations TO successful
conclusion. Also to be discussed
with the President is the compost
ton of the advisory commission
which will include representatives
of the army and navy, and au-
thorities on international law and
Far Eastern questions.
I'VE have 10 .ulterior motives and
when the conference meets the
other nations will find our cards on
the table face up said one Of the
highest officials Of the government
yesterday. I'VE believe that it ought
to be possible to reach an agreement
to limit armament, the cost of which
is becoming Il grievous burden for
peoples to bear. and TO remove
causes Of international friction and
misunderstanding which stand in the
way Of an agreement on the reduc-
ton Of armament. Whether the
objects are actually attainable re-
we purpose to afford the assembled
nations free and Unfcttered oppor-
tunity to reach the end desired"
President Harding views the con-
ference as an effort to prevent the
natural and cOmmendable rivalry
between the divers races bordering
the Pacific from reaching the stage
Of armed conflict.
His conception, which he incor-
por1ted in his address to the Press
Congress of the World at Honolulu,
follows:
I'VE have heard much in recent
years about the problem of the Pa
cific. whatever that may be. l take
il to be merely a phase OF the uni
vel sal problem of the race, of men
and rations wherever they are. 1t is
hard to imagine justifications in this
day and age. especially in view OF
the worlds late unhappy experiences,
.or armed conflict among civilized
peoples anywhere and especially
among peoples so widely separated
rs those on opposite borders of the
Pacific. They represent different
.aces, social organizations, political
systems and modes Of thought.
Between them and their widely
varving systems there may well be
an amicablc competition to deter
mine which community possessea
the better and more effective ideas
for human advancement. But that
there should be conflict; that war
fare and controversy should inter-
fc.c with this worth while demon
stration of the value Of different
modest Of progress, is almost un-
th:Ykablc. The Pacific ought to be
the seat Of generous, free, open
minded competition between the best
llcalS DI cdSLtIU anu EtSLtli! II1C,
between the aspirations and endeay-
ors of the oldest and the newest
forms Of human society,"
The American delegation will be-
Gin study of large volume of data
on the Limitation Of armament and
Pacific and Far Eastern questions
prepared by the State, War and
NAVY DapartmeNtS
Proceeding on the basis that the
United States will not halt navy
building except in agreement with
other naval powers, the navy gene
raj board has worked out several al
tentative plans of the limitation or
construction.
The one most generally favored
BIZ the naval authorities is a pro-rata
limitation. Under this plan the Brit
is1 navy would be ranked first in
strength. the American second and
the Japanese third. Each Of these
nations would be obligated not to
increase its naval strength beyond
its present status in a certain deslS-
mated future year. Each nation
would be allowed so many dread
naughts, so many cruisers, so many
dcstroyers, so many submarines and
SO on through the various classes oS
vessels.