The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1921-10-12
. DELEGATES
SHARE POLICY
ON ARMS CUT
Formation is Begun When
Delegation Appointed by
President Holds First Meet
ing at State Department.
LEARN HARDING STAND
tBy Associated Press>

WASHINGTON. Oct. L. - Forma
tion of policies TO be pursued by the
American delegation at the confer
ence on limitation of ornaments, Far
Eastern and Pacific questions was
begun today when the four delegates
selected by President Harding to rep
resent the United States, held their
first meeting at the state department
Diplomatic, military and naval data
of specific nature already had been
compiled for the guidance of the
delegation but the real task of fitting
the whole mass of information togeth-
er and building upon it constructive
program remained to be done by the
delegates themselves in the long series
of meetings that will precede the
opening of the conference on Nov. IL.
Today's meeting was designed to do
no more than scratch the surface of
the problem ahead of the American
representatives. 1t was called by
Secretary Hughes, head of the delega-
tion to permit. of preliminary survey
of the situation and of general out
line of the things to be done. Presi-
dent Harding had communicated his
ideas through Mr.. Hughes, and
memoranda were available covering
various points of technical informa-
ton, but personal interviews with the
| President and with military and naval
experts were part of the delegations
plan during its period of preparation.
Presidents Hopes.
Some hint of the presidents hopes
| for the armament conference were
given as the delegates were assembling
by publication of letter the president
had written in reply to prayer that
| he work for universal disarmament"
Absolute disarmament" Mr.. Harding
wrote, was beyond hope of attain
ment, and perhaps not even desirable" !"
but reasonable limitation of arma-
ment was practical proposition with
some hope of accomplishment.
/ Similar sentiments have been ex-
pressed generally by military and
naval authorities who have concerned
themselves with preparation of the
data that was before today's meeting.
! 1t is understood that the first consider
alton of those familiar with the inter-
national situation has been rather o
| reasonable limitation" of future
armament construction than scaling
down of present strength. The latter,
i it is pointed out could well be consid-
cred after building program for the
future had been agreed upon.
Have Discussed Matter.
Although today's meeting was the
/ first at which all the American deleg-
ates have been present since their
selection, all of them have talked over
the coming nominations with President
Harding.
Secretary Hughes and Senator
Lodge both have had repeated confer
ences with Mr.. Harding on the subject
and both Elihu Root and Senator I'm
derwood called at the White House
and were acquainted with the pres
ident's views before accepting places
on the delegation.
The letter in which President Hard
ing outlined his hope for reasonable
limitation" was made public at the
white house as expressing the ex.
ecutive's attitude toward the views OF
all those who have written him to
work for complete disarmament
Addressed to Miss Freed
The letter was addressed to Miss
Ella l.. Freed, Brooklyn, and was as
follows:
My dear Miss Freed:
Your letters among others that
come to me, suggest widespread mis-
apprehension as to the aims of the
conference. on limitation of arma
ments. In my letter of October 5th,
said to you:
Il think / ought to correct youl
impression about expectation of uni
versal disarmament 1t is very er
roneous even to suggest that we con
template going so far as that. If we
can get a reasonable limitation we
shall think that great things have beer
accomplished.
You replied that my letter seemed
to bring a message of hopelessness tt
those seeking universal disarmament
and asked me to explain reasonable
J limitation.
, by reasonable limitation / NEAR
T Continued on Page Three)