The New York herald., 1921-07-17


Copyright, 1891, bv THE NEW YORK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau.
Paris, July I6.
Commission headed by Rene Viviani
former Premier, to-day decided to
carry on it's programme just as II
President Harding had not issued in
vitations to a conference on that sub
ject at Washington, evidently hoping
to gain recognition and reflected glory
by having some Government furnish
data and a suggested solution to the
the deliberations of NJ Vivianis COM
mission.
However, this will have to be ne
gotiated carefully, as the League OF
Nations officials are convinced that the
United States representatives at the
Harding conference would refuse even
to consider anything bearing the
League of Nations trade mark. But
as one league official said to-day at the
conclusion of the first session, There
is nothing to prevent the British Gov
ernment from submitting the result
Of the leagues labors without mention
ing the source. and if this is success
full it would in itself be justifica-
ton for the leagues existence as an
organization for promoting confer
ences and carrying on academic in
vestigations in problems which the
Governments themselves might try to
settle"
Laying the Groundwork.
The present conference. moreover, will
only lay the groundwork, appointing
to be submitted to the Governments as
we'll as to the League Of Nations AS
sembly at Geneva September 5. Some
league experts even believe that the
work on the disarmament question
might lead to President Hardng's ap-
proval of the League of Nations activ-
tiles in connection with his plan for an
association of nations.
A suggestion that the commission
give the impression not only of asso-
ciating itself with President Harding s
initiative. but actually being the first
organization to have completed an ex-
haustive study of all phases of disarma-
ment for the benefit of the conferees at
Washington, came from II. A, l.. Fisher
of Great Britain. Nevertheless the COM
mission practically admitted the league $
inability to settle the armaments ques-
ton. Mr.. Fisher expressed the hope
that the question Of naval disarmaments
taA wsAtA tal. xerta hat
urged extreme prudence as far as han
ding land armaments was concerned,
inasmuch as this problem cannot be
solved by the league as long as Russia
and Germany are not members of the
league and the latter's loyalty is still
questioned.
M. Viviani's address of welcome
stressed the fact that the delegates to
this conference were not appointed by
the Governments and were not acting
in any binding capacity, and therefore
their activities did not conflict with
anything President Harding might have
in mind. He declared that he was not
surprised by President Harding taking
the initiative in behalf of the great,
powerful and generous American nation.
and we are certain that our labors can
not but be taken into consideration by
the Governments"
Opposed to Minimizing.
signor Carlo Scbanzer, the Italian
delegate, expressed sympathy with the
Harding plan for solving the disarma-
ment problem, but, like Mr. Fisher, he
warned his colleagues not to go too fast.
He also insisted that the leagues con-
nection with the movement should not
me minimlzed the commission fulfilling
its mandate strictly as laid down by the
league.
The commission has practically de-
cided to prepare reports on the general
political elements which are preventing
disa armament, together with accurate
statistics of both present and pre-war
armaments OF all nations. as we'll as
a series OF proposed solutions. such as
limitation by budget methods, which al
ready has been declared not to be feas-
ible by military experts. and also the
restriction OF private manufacturers,
such as the Krupps. Armstrong-Vic
and Schneider-Creusot.
The view expressed by delegates in
their remarks was that while the United
States was declining contact with the
League Of Nations the forthcoming con-
ference in Washington would find itself
Obliged TO consider such conclusions as
the Leagues Commission might pre-
pare.
The tendency in French circles to con-
slider the leagues disarmament commits
sion useless In view Of the proposed
Washington conference was deprecated
by the argument that the commission s
work In no way prejudices what any
other deliberative body may do and the
suggestions made that NJ. Viviani's work
on the commission would make him a
likely representative OF France In Wash
ington in case Premier BRAND should
be unable 10 go.
VIII Conform TO Covenant.
Mr.. Fisher in an address approving
VI. Vivlani's statement said
"If the Washington conference should
as must be hoped, reach an agreement,
that agreement certainly would be In
conformity with Article XXI. of the
covenant Of the league. This commission
also should express great satisfaction
with the action taken by President Har-
ding, watch, far from being in opposition
to tire general idea OF the league, is, on
the contrary, in full conformity with its
spirit"
The members OF the commission are
Appointed by the Council---Rene Vivi-
ami, France: DR.. Rivas vicuna, Chile; n.
A. L. Fisher, Great Britain; Senator
Carlo Sohanzer. italy: M. Tatsuke Ja-
pan. former Premier Hjalmar Branting,
Sweden.
From the Permanent Disarmament
Commission--Capt. Penido, Brazil: Adj
miral Sir Somerset A. Cough Calthorpc,
Creat Rrftain. Rear Admiral Marquis