The New York herald., 1921-11-26
Optimistic on Smoothing of
Controversy With French
Army as Storm Centre.
ALL WORKING FOR PEACE
Strong Counter Currents Can
Be Stemmed by Keeping
Temper and Cool Heads.
ny WICKHAM STEED.
Editor of the London Tinsos,

.
WASHINGTON. Nov. 25.-I said tn,
other day that the conference was be
coming interesting. 1t has now becom,
very interesting. People unversed 1,
the ways. or. rather, the waywardness
Of conferences may think the position
critical. and may grieve or rejoice ovel
it according to their desires for it,
success or their hopes for it's failure.
1t is useless to disguise the fac
that powerful influences in man,
countries are working, directly and In
directly. to wreck the conference. Blu
believe that the influences makinl
FOR its substantial success are stronge,
still and that they will prevail. Henc,
which is imagined to exist. becaus,
none Of the serious elements in tn,
situation seems to be intractable,
treated in good humor and with goot
will; and also because several Of tn,
disturbing factors are mutually con
Trajectory and servo to cancel eacl
other.
Ten Disturbing Influences.
A brief list Of disturbing factors thai
have arisen during the last few days
may be valuable. Taken roughly ir
chronological order. they are:
1. The development OF an anti
conference campaign In the Ameri-
can press, a section Of which Is striv-
ing to prove that the limitation of
ornaments would be dangerous to
America, and that the United States
should have no truck with Euro
pean nations. which are always quar-
relling among themselves. The dele
gates are also being bombarded with
prope sandist circulars designed to
create friction between the United
States and Great Britain on the one
hand, and between Japan and the
United States on the other.
3. Despite the excellent impression
made by NJ. Brands speech and by
Mr. Balfour's and Mr.. Hughess re-
plies on Monday, prominent British
publicist assured American readers
that France Is incorrigably militarist
and that, II she wants submarines. 1t
Is In order to make war on Eng
land.
3. On the authority OF some
fTeHSt ueleSdtes, FRANCS was stated
to desire fleet equal to the Japanese
besides maintaining the largest
army IN Europe.
4. japan was alleged TO be In
sisting on having a navy equal to
20 per cent. of the American and
the British naval strength.
5. Italy showed a disposition to
demand a feet equal to that of
France. Her spokesman In the con-
ference was reported to have fri
rat.'' the French by proposing a gen.
eral resolution against land arma-
nnents. which M. BRAND rejected un-
less express mention should DO made
of the special position of France.
8. M. BRAND, who had toned down
the indiscreet utterances OF other
French delegates, said testify to an
American journalist that II the Brit
ish want 100000 tons OF capital
ships In order to fish for eardnes
France wants her full quota Of sub
marines In order to study undersea
rora for the benefit Of French botani-
cal societies.
7. The Chinese threatened to with
draw from the conference IL an al
legged. but unauthorized. British sug-
gestion for the establishment Of in
ternational financial supervision in
China Is pressed.
8. The ghost OF American domestic
politics invaded the conference in the
shape of a threat from a prominent
Democrat organ that IL the Har-
ding Administration attempts to
evade the control OF the Senate over
arrangements that may be made by
the Washington conference there
viii be trouble In store.
0. Lord Curzon In London lee
tured France on the folly OF her
conduct
10. Reports reached Washington
slaat British armament firms are op-
posing tho limitation OF naval arma-
nents.
List Could BE Expanded,
These ten points" are not exhaustive,
but they may serve to illustrate the
conditions under which delegates,
wearied by social entertainments, stewed
IN hot rooms and refrigerated by drafts
OF cold air. are attempting to perform
their appointed task. Fortunately, those
among them VINO have experience OF
International conferences are not likely
70 DO upset or bewildered. Crises occur
In every important conference Thoy
prove only that serious business Is on
hand. IL may be a positive advantage
that cross currents should be revealed
and cnmities exposed at comparatively
carly stage in tho proceedings. Tho
forces that make for concord and for
the success OF the conference In its
major tasks can thus bo marshalled and
directed I'm such a way as TO overcome
resistance and to discomfit opponents
This does not mean that patient care
and much good temper will not be needed
II pitfalls are to be avoided. Ths
enemies OF the conference are certainly
numerous and powerful. The attitude
toward II of the intangible force known
as international finance, OF the pro-Ger-
man and pro- Bolshevik persuasion. is by
no means clear, or, at least, II Ia not
clear that a certain species of inter-
national hnancier desires harmony be-
ivesn England and France, the British
Empire and the United states, or the
United States and Japan.
The only effective means of ncutrsliz-
ing the manDuvres designed to wreck
The conference or TO render il sterile Is
she maintenance of the momentum Inn
persed 70 II at the beginning. coupled