Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-11-11
Preliminaries Will
Be Few in Opening
of Armament Meet

aSnlngtOn. NOV. IU-(By A. z. y
The great powers completed their
preparations today for the confer
ence on limitation of armament
The last of the major delegations
was completed by the days arrivals,
who included Arthur J. Balfour, head
of the British group until the COM
ing of Lloyd George and additional
tralia and Italy.
Welcomed with all the ceremony
that can attend the advent of a dis
tinguished spokesman of a great
power, Mr.. Balfour reached Wash
ington declaring conviction that the
conference would accomplish an his
toric advance in international amity.
Only the delegation from Portugal,
which is to arrive tomorrow, was
those who will face each other about
the conference table when President
Harding makes the opening address
on Saturday.
Notable among the days confer
ences among the representatives Of
the individual nations was a meeting
of those who will comprise the sec
ond line of representation for the
United States. the advisory commit
tee, named by President Harding "to
advise and assist" the American
delegates. The committee completed
its organization by the authorization
of six subcommittee to act as in
terpretative agencies for the Ameri-
can public opinion on the questions
before the conference.
BY the exchanges among the par
tcipating nations, final agreement
was reached on the program for The
opening day, last minutes touches
were added to physical arrangements
in the conference hall and every de-
tail of the preparations was COM
pleted so that nothing would remain
to be done during tomorrow's season
of mourning.
AS finally drawn up the plans for
the opening session will start the
conference with a minimum of frills
and diplomatic intricacies. Secre-
tary Hughes will bring the delegates
to order, there will be a pray yer, Pres
ident Harding will make short adj
dress, n permanent chairman will be
chosen and the conference will go to
work forthwith. President Harding
will entertain all the delegates at
dinner at the White House Saturday
night.
Unless all surface indications are
deceiving the United States alone
among the powers will be ready to
come forward at the outset Sith
concrete proposal for armament linn
itatiOn. This plan, relating primar-
lily to naval problems therefore ap-
pears to be destined to become the
first important topic of negotiations
although counter proposals are ex-
pected to be brought in latersand the
discussion is believed likely to lead
the conference very quickly into n
consideration of various far flung
questions of diplomatic policy.
AS the opening hour approaches
there is manifest a feeling Of grow
ing optimism among many of the
delegates, coupled with determine
ton not to permit the conference to
stray into troublesome fields with
which it has no proper concern. The
British delegation is making its plans
for a six weeks session and most of
the other national groups are almost
as hopeful of quick accomplishment.
Encouraging messages Of support
are also multiplying as the day of
the conference draws near. OF a va
riety reaching President Harding to-
day, one pledged the cooperation
and sympathetic interest of the Jew
ish organization B'Nai Birth, and an
other came from Geneva, Switzer.
land, expressing the hope Of the in
ternational labor conference. In ses-
sion there, that the negotiations will
"achieve. solid and lasting work for
the firmer establishment of peace"