The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-02-08
SPEEDY ACTION
ON PACTS HOPE
Of PRESIDENT
Awaits Farley Report Be
fore Sending Treaties
To the Senate.
OPPOSES SHARP CUT
IN NAVAL. J. FORCE
Decision on Participation
In. Genoa Conference
Expected Friday.

The American delegation to the
recent arms conference is working
On its report to President Harding.
1t win be transmitted TO him pos
sibly today, but certainly not later
than tomorrow. It will include all
of the treaties that were the prod
uct of the conference.
So soon as they are in the hands
of the President he will send them.
accompanied by formal message.
to the Senate. Whether he will
deliver this message in person, or
send II by a Secretary. will not be
determined until the committee re-
port is in his hands.
VIII Ask speedy Action.
The President intends to stress to
the Senate the necessity for speedy
action in so far as 1t is compatible
with the need for care in examin-
ing into this important subject. He
will point out in his message that
there Is very much which depends
on ratification of the treaties. No
action can be taken concerning pos-
stble reduction OF naval personnel:
no final scrapping of ships Of war,
built and building; no o>sbandonment
of plans for the fortification of
Guam and the Philippines can be
possible until the Senate has ap-
proved the provisions of the treaties.
Mr.. Harding definitely has ordered
all work stopped on new capital
ships under construction which are
included in the scrapping program.
He likewise has directed that no
additional fortification construction
shall be done either at Guam, where
the work has been in progress for
months. or In the Philippines, for
the present time. But he does not
feel that he can take any steps 60
abandon all OF this work until the
treaties shall have been made ef-
fectives ts5,.t9. !, (. ..l .-,.... {, s.7
Secs No Need Of -ReseryatIeas. 49,
The President does not believe
there Is any real reason for serious
delay in consideration of the
treaties. He has let callers under
stand that he Is very reluctant even
to discuss suggestions of possible
reservations to any of the treaties
while such proposed reservations
are only suggestions. For his part
he has told callers that he sees no
reason why there should be any res
ervations. But he considers that.
after all. the question is for the
Senate to decide. and until it does
so he cannot make any statement
on this subject
So far as the question OF a Nre-
duction of the personnel Of the
navy to meet the scrapping OF capi-
tai ships is concerned, the Presi-
dent has let 1t be known that he
does not believe that any drastic
cut either is possible or desirable.
The present personnel of the navy
is between 100000 and 10000. In
the opinion of the Executive, II is
understood. this figure cannot with
safety be reduced below $4,000.
And so far as the question of army
reductions, as suggested by Gen.
Pershing, Is concerned. 1t was ex-
planned at the White House yes
.terday that there have been no con-
ferences on the subject as yet and
may not be for some little time to
come.
President Not q .Pacinst.,
IN NulS COhHcCliOn tHe fTcSiuenl
has made IL very plain to certain
of his callers that he is in no way
a "pacifist." He does not believe
that any government has the right
to abandon its armies or its navies.
They must be kept at point where
they will be sufficient for problems
of national defense. Bnt he does
believe, as he said in his farewell
address to the conference. that the
peoples should be relieved from as
much Of the crushing burden of
war preparations as is possible
with due regard to conditions OF
national safety.
The President will announce his
decision regarding participation by
the United States in the proposed
Genoa conference on Friday. It
seemed to be .he opinion in official
quarters last night that he would
make It plain that. while he SYM
pathized very much with the prob
lens of the European nations along
economic lines. the position of the
United States Is such that 1t hard
ly can agree to enter the confer
ence. OF course the President has
been most careful that no inkiing
of his intentions shall leak out
But in Congressional circles there
seemed last night to be a general
opinion that he wocld stay out of
this gathering.
VIII Sign Refunding Bill.
Up to the present the President
has not received the foreign debt
refunding bill. So soon as he does,
and 1t has been approved by the
Treasury Department. he will sign
liz. At the White House yesterday
II was learned that the commits
sion to be named will consist OF
three Cabinet officers and a MEM
ber Of the Senate and the House.
The general opinion is that the per-
sonnel will be Secretary of the
Treasury Mellon. chairman; Secre-
tary of Commerce Hoover, Secre-
tary Of War Weeks, Senator Nc
cumber and Representative Ford
ney. There will be no Democrats
on the commission. 1t will take up
Its duties by means of direct nego-
tiations through the various ac-
credited ambassadors and ministers
of the debtor nations here in wash
ington. t
Each nation will have its indi.
,vidual case considered separately.
and there is a feeling In oficia,
quarters that speedy action can be