The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-12-10
POWER
ALLIANCE
PROPOSED
Great Nations Would
Get Together to Pre-
serve Peace in Pa
cific

Washington, Dec IA anu-
tual pledge not to go to war over
disputes in the Pacific without
cooling off period" Of discussion
is the basis of the new four-power
treaty proposed as q substitute for
the Anglo-Japanese alliance.
Discussions of the prop o
among the arms delegates have
reached "a we'll advanced stage, al
though none of the governments
concerned = the United States,
Great Britain. Japan and France
has given its final approval. a sug-
geStion that the Anglo-Japanese
pact be revoked has gone to Lon
don and Toxic. Possible contro-
verSies over the Pacific Islands
alone. exclusive of the Hawaiian
group and zap, would come un-
der the provisions of the new agree
mnet. zap is to be the subject
Of separate treaty, negotiations
for which are nearing completion
and Hawaii is to be considered for
purposes of.the agreement as part
of the American mainland.
The problems Of China or other
portions Of the Asiatic mainland are
not to he touched by the propos-
ed treaty. nor will it contain pro-
visions relating to Pacific fortIico-
tons or the naval reduction pro-
gram It is possible, however, that
all Of these questions may come
simultaneously to the point Of a de-
! cision BY the American delegates
the project is regarded as establish
ing neither an alliance nor an Ell
tente. hut merely as applying TO the
Pacific islands the principle Of the
thirty-odd BRYAN peace treaties to
| which the United States already is
a party A statement setting,
forth that position probably will be
made in the near future by Secrc-
! ta1y Hughes.
Fer the present the authorized
American spokesmen prefer to say
nothing about their conversations
on the subject. which have been
proceeding entirely behind the cur
tain Of executive sessions. APP
parcntly the negotiations so far
have been kept within a very mar
row circle centerins in the big
! three'-EuShes, Balfour and ka-
| to.
An evidence Of the optimism
with which American officials who
or.. -, an tho coc,o4 ,-io,,- .l,o ,-opnr
/ al situation in the arms conference
was given today, however. by Pres
| ident Harding, who declared in Il
public address that the negotiations
promised to succeed '.1syond our
fondest hopes" Without making
direct reference to the proposed
! four-powor Agreement he predict
ed that the Washington conference
would usher in new day in inter
nationa! amity.
All the outward indications point
20 merging OF the Pacific IttcS-
tions with the naval ratio problem
so far as the final decisions OF
some of the foreign nations are
concerned. No reply from Toxic
regarding the naval reduction
plan now is expected until the Jap
anese government also is ready TO
make some expression on the
four-power proposal. 1t is pos
Sible that in the final analysis the
questions of Shantung and China
generally may also become inter
woven in the general scheme before
a specific and definite settlement
of any of these elements is reach
cd
Thus it would not surprise close
observers here if the whole range
OF controversies under consideration
were gathered in the end under one
blanket understanding to be trans
lated then in.o several formal in
struncnts. Of agreement.
Both japanese and Chinese re-
fccted optimism over the Shan
,UnS negotiations tonight after an