Paragould soliphone. (Paragould, Ark.) 1918-1950, 1922-01-16
THE FAR EAST
COMES UNDER
THE SPOTLIGHT
Arms Delegates Prepare to
Begin With Discussion of
Shantung-Treaty In FL
nal Form.

lAANk NSh k1ss
Washington, Jan. 14.-With the
naval treaty virtually completed
the arms delegates are preparing to
turn their attention to Shantung,
| apparently in the hope that a settle
ment of that controversy will make
it easier to go ahead with other
! troublesome problems of the Far
East.
1t is now expected that during
the next few days, and probably
until a decision is reached. the
Shantung negotiations will have
right of way, while the discussion
of other Far Eastern negotiations
remains at a standstill SO far the
place between the Japanese and
Chinese alone, with American and
British observers present.
At their meeting yesterday the
Japanese and Chinese groups reach
ed an agreement for opening up the
entire Kiao-Chow leasehold territory
to foreign trade, and today they will
take up collateral questions involv-
ed in restoration of the leasehold
to China. These discussions are
expected to continue all day.
Agree as to "Scrapping."
In the naval negotiations only a
few details remain to be arranged.
An agreement has been reached re-
garding metho0s of scrapping, under
which discarded battleships may be
converted in some cases into air
plane carriers and training ships,
and final settlement relating to
Pacific fortification awaits a reply,
expected hourly, from Toxic.
If present plans develop, the fl
nal draft of the naval treaty will
be laid before the full Naval Com
mittee early next week, and will
be publicly announced at a plenary
session of the conference few days
later.
One possible element Of delay in
concluding the naval treaty was
eliminated yesterday when the
French delegation received instruc-
tions from President Millerand to
go ahead with its conference duties,
regardless of the cabinet crisis at
Paris.
Under the scrapping provisions,
as finally agreed to, the United
States and Japan are authorized to
change into airplane carriers some
of the battleships now under con-
struction, which under the original
plan would have gone to the scrap
be permitted to convert into train
ing ships the dreadnoughts Of their
fleet, which by the agreement are
TO become obsolete in 1881. This
decision was formerly recorded at g
meeting of the big five" yester-
day, devoted mostly to re-exam-
ination of the treaty draft for tech
nical legal revisions.
Chinese Score Point.
Meeting of the Japanese and Chi
nese resulting in an agreement for
opening up Kiao-Chow to trade, is
regarded as one of the most inn
portant of the sessions that have
been in progress on the Shantung
problem. The policy of an open
door" is to be applied in trade de-
yelopment of the territory. The two
delegations have agreed that all ma
tions should have equal economic
privileges China is to undertake
to protect the foreign interests that
may be installed there. Kiao-Chow
is to be a free port.
In American quarters, there is
apparently a belief that a final set
tlement of the Shantung situation
is indispensable to the program of
readjustment undertaken by the con-
ference in the Far East.
The deliberations at Cannes, the
resignation of Premier BRAND and
the coming economic conference at
Genoa are topics on which the
European delegates want to hear
first hand information. These sub
jects continue the theme of ami
mated sideline discussions.
Many inquiries are being made
as to the possibility that the Unit
ed States may be represented at the
Genoa conference. 1t was said at
the White House yesterday that no
decision had been reached. So
many unsettled elements are inyoly-
ed that the proposal was not even
considered ripe for discussion at
yesterdays cabinet meeting.