Omaha daily bee., 1921-08-13
Hughes To
AT
Conference
Harding Passes Full Re.
sponsibility for Disarma-
ment Parleys to Secre.
tary of State.
May Name One Woman
Bv GRAFTON S. WILCOX.


Chicago Tribune Omaha Bee Leased Wire.
Washington, Aug. l2-President
Harding today announced the selec-
ton of Secretary Of State Hughes to
head the delegation to represent the
United States in the Washington
conference on limitation of arma-
ments and Pacific and far eastern
issues which menace international
tranquility.
The president further announced
that he passed on to his secretary
of state all responsibility for the
conference henceforth except. Of
course, the naming of the other
members of the American delega-
ton.
The president believes, according
to his advisers, that he has done his
full duty in bringing about the world
conference, which already begins to
assume an importance as vital to the
nations as the Versailles peace con-
ference. The president does not be-
lieve that he, as the president of the
United States, should push himself
into the conceive further. He will. of
course, in his capacity as president
of the nation which invited the con-
ference, address the delegates when
they convene November IL, but after
that his relation to it will be an ad-
visory one.
Confidence in Hughes.
Having implicit confidence in his
secretary of state, the president, in
striking contrast to the course of
President Wilson in the Versailles
peace negotiations at Paris, has in
formed Mr.. Hughes that he is rely
ing upon him for direction of Ameri-
can efforts in endeavoring to bring
about a settlement of worli prob
lens which will permit reduction of
armaments. Negotiations with the
powers over the scope of the confer
ence, the details of the agenda and
the controversies that may arise in
this connection with Japan or Others
of the participating powers, will be
in the hands of Mr. Hughes.
This does not mean that the presi-
dent will not be in constant touch
with developments and consult fire.
quently with the secretary OF state,
but it does mean that President Har
ding, having brought the allied and
associated powers and China to-
gether for discussion of the vital
problems outlined in his invitation,
is going to retire from the linelight
and entrust the work of the confer
ence to the men he will chose to
represent the United States.
Hughes to Preside.
As head of the American delega-
ton, Secretary Hughes will un-
doubtcdly be chosen to preside over
the conference when it is organized
and in this capacity he will be ele-
waited to post of world prominence
that will rank with the eminence of
Clemenceau at Versailles.
Who will be Mr.. Hughes col
leagues on the delegation is yet un-
determined. The president will not
name them until negotiations have
been concluded with the powers as
C The size of the personnel for each.
There will be 10 hard and fast line
drawn, however. Inasmuch as all
delegations will act as units it will
not he necessary to insist upon an
equal number of repre- entatives
from each countryr. The wishes of
The respective governments in the
matter will be respected.
Great Britaian, it is understood,
will be represented by members
from the dominions, vitally interested
IN far eastern questions, as we'll as
the representative OF the home gov
ernmeEt. This being so, the British
delegation MAJ number as many as
seven or eigks. Other powers may
send cnly three or foar.
May Name One Woman.
The president, it is believed.
hopes to appoint at least five to the
American delegation and possibly
six. Whether woman will be one
of them has not been decided, but
agitation for such appointment con-
tinues.
An administration official today,
discussing the importance of the
conference and its possibilities, de-
clared that this government fully
realized the difficulties of the un-
dertaking and that the representa-
tives of the United States would en-
ter the conference determined to
hold their ground in the discussion
of eastern issues, which have
been" and "are" matters of interna-
tional concern.
The conference, he said, will be a
practical, hard-headed one. The
representatives of the powers rep
resented must go there to look each
other straight in the eye. They
must keep their feet on the ground
and. above all things, stop seeing