The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-09-20
BEGIN FIGHT TO
ADMIT PRESS TO
DISARM PARLEY
Sen. Horrisoz, Leads
MoUe for Open
Diplomacy
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Copyright 1929
Especial to The Argus.)


Washington, Sept. 2o.-The fight
to have the press admitted to the
forthcoming conference on the limi-
tation of ornaments and the discus
sion of far eastern questions has
begun.
Senator Harrison of Mississippi.
Democrat, and Senator Borah of
Idaho, Republican, are working to-
gether owe rthe draft of resolu-
ton to be introduced in the senate
when congress convenes on Wei
nesday calling upon the American
delegation to use its influence to
have the newspapermen admitted to
the big conference.
Object to Secrecy.
Indications from the White house
heretofore have been that the con-
ference would be secret and that
the various governments concerned
would give out their own versions
of what takes place. The resolu-
tion adopted by the senate would
pledge the American delegation to
work not only for the admission OF
the press but for the keeping of a
stenographic record of everything
| that is said at any meeting at which
the business of the conference is
discussed.
No such record was kept at the
Paris conference when the Big -Four
met and there are disputes today
which probably never will be set
tied as to what was said by each OF
the representatives of the govern
! ments involved When the CouI-
Gil of Ten was in session, secreta--
| les were present but they only took
notes and wrote a condensed sum-
mary afterwards of what had been
said. In no sense was it COM
plete record of the proceedings, nor
was it offered as SUCH, The entire
| Yap dispute has grown out of the
faulty record kept in the meetings
of the Council of Ten when it was
averred President Wilson gave his
consent to the japanese proposal
/ The minutes of the meeting fail tC
present the entire conversation IL
which Mr. Wilson insists that he ex-
/ pllcltly Q1SSenteQ.
Battle Not Partisan.
Senator Harrison declares tina
his fight for the admission of tbs
F. press is not a partisan affair anc
that Senator Borah as well a!
/ other leading Republicans are jus
/ as much interested in seeing thu
newspapermen admitted as are th'
Il. n
course, that the rules of the confer
ence will be made by all the power!
when assembled, but on the othe
hand the aim of the senators behint
the Harrison resolutions is to haVt
| the American delegation at leas
champion the cause of open diplom
acy.
Then if the conference is a fail
ure, it will not be said that tn
United States delegation was to b
blamed for failing to keep the con
j ference in the open so that pubh
opinion could prevent the represeE
tatives present from taking such ar
bitrary positions as blocked agree
ment.
>, Publicity Badly Needed.
Inc WuOic lTouOlS dUOuL PuDl4SAt
J in connection with every interna
: tional conference is that when tn
=. press is excluded the blame for fail
ure or the responsibility for oh
structive tactics is never disclosec
The alibis are. still being offered TO
various agreements reached at tn
Versailles conference. Thus ia
, there is every indication that td
Washington conference will b
managed on exactly the same hne
as the peace conference. that is tn
, ! press will be excluded and the oi
. ficials of each government will tie
the press afterwards what the
, ought to print in order to asst;
each nations interest. The Euro
!. pean governments have always ha
/, a hold on their press and have bee
able to inspire the writing of edlto'
ials as well as reports so as TO II
: fuence public opinion. The Amer
can delegation at Paris never pa
ticipated in such tactics and We
often at a disadvantage for that re: