The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-01-25
CONFERENCE MAY
 ADJOURN AT END
 OF ANOTHER WEEK
Delegates Make Quick Work of Siberia QueStion-Sco9e of Five Power Treaty
 Redefined
By Associated Press

Washington January h.
 Swinging into high speed 1gais
 the arms conference today made
 quick work of the Siberian ques-
 ton. virtually agreed on the sole
 remaining Issue of the naval re-
 auction plan. completed n redesi-
 milton of the scope of the four
 power Pacific trenty. and pushed
 on toward a solution of the shan
 tnng tnngle and various lesser
 problems.
 So sweeping was tho days pro- gress that httse save perfunctory de- tails remained tonight to bring all the diverse tasks of the conference to simultaneous conclusion. Some of the more optimistic among the delegates were predicting that the final wind-up would come within week
 In it's two-day incurson into the Siberian field the far-eastern com mittee contcnted itself with listen ing to and spreading on the confer ence record detailed statements or the respective views of the Japanese and American governments. Japan's declaration disclaimed territorial de- signs in Russia. but set forth the reasons that impei her to keep troops in eastern Siberia, and the reply Vt the United States reiterated the de- sire that there would result no per- manent infringement upon Rnssian tn- tegrity.
 French Express Confidence
 Except for the frepcn, who ex- pressed confidence in the Japanese pledge to withdraw from Siberian soil as soon as@stable conditions will permit, no other delegation joined in the discussions. Secretary Hughes proposed the readily accept ed resolution by which the item Was wiped off the conference program. to appear no more until the pro- of the two goYernmehts are formally entered in the minutes of the next plenary session.
 The last difference over principle in the naval treaty relating to the Notifications sta tus quo tin thc I'a~ cifio was swept away in intorne,i consultations anfVng thr Chinese de4T egates after u had held up compie- tion of the treaty text for many days. Upon the settlement the Brit ish plan of defining latitude anu longitude boundary for the status quo zone is replaced by the Japanese suggestion that Instead there be a list, by name, of the islands which must not be further fortified. The Jepanese agreed that the Japanese Bonin group should be included un- der the proposition.
 submit to ToIsio
 further cause for delay deVci- oped, however, when the Japanese plenipotentiaries declared their de- sire to submit the fortifcations ar ticle in exact phraseology to Tokio for approval. The Tokio officials al ready have agreed to all but the minor details of wording and ia vorable reply is expected within few days.
 Redehnition of the geographieal scope of the four-power Pacihc treaty, already signed, took the form of series of notes which have been completed and mutually approved by the four powers. and will be formally exchanged for the record before the Washington conference ends They reverse the previous informal agree- ment of the delegates and provide, after the ma tor Japanese islanas' f cluding the Bonin group. shall nof be classed among the 'insular pos sessions and dominions' to which tue applies.
 In the Shantung associations ps tween the Japanese and Chinese it became apparent that outside pres sure for a settlement was increasins as the two groups met to clear away various minor details of the pom s on which they already have agrecu, The question Of the Tsingtao- Psinanfu railroad. now virtually tAs only undetermined issue. was not touched upon at the meeting but was actively under consideration @R American and British quarters 9e- cause of the exercise of good oi- fees by Secretary Hughes and Az thur J. Balfour
 By conference officials in eloSe touch with the progress of the Amer ican- British compromise, It WIS thought tonight that settlements was very near" Both the Japanese and Chinese refused to make pre- dictions, but they showed evidence of a willingness to resume the rail- road discussions directly, as re suit of the developments of the last few days