The Washington herald., 1922-01-13
Full Committee Will Be
Called Tomorrow to
Approve Pact.
WILL CONTAIN NO
JOKERS, is PLEDGE
Americans Resist British
Move to ''Pass Buck"
On China.

The first reading of the naval
treaty was completed yesterday
Drafting experts again were work
ing on 1t last night shaping up sug-
gested changes and improvemen
and writing them down in their
proper place. Today the document
will again be read by the chiefs OF
the delegations. II they are salts
fed. and II Tokyo and London have
replied to requests for authoriza-
tion to agree to disputed ouestic ns
then II Is expected that the full
naval committee will be called In
tomorrow to approve the document
That done. IT will be possible TO call
plenary session to make IL pub.
lie.
American spokesmen last night
took OCCASION very emphatically &c
state that there will be no "jokers'
in the treaty. Every possible ef-
fort will be made to have the Ian
guage clear and explicit in every
section so that double meanings
may be avoided. This is especially
desirous in those sections that deal
with auxiliaries, submarines. and
capital ship scrapping.
VIII watch MerchsntmeB.
Suggestions that most of toe cap
ital ships now building can be con-
verted into merchantmen have not
pleased Americans. II might be easy
to camounage merchant vessels that
ed into war craft. So these partic-
ular sections of the treaty win be
written In the most careful man.
ner. The British delegation Is un-
derstood to have referred to Lon
don some Of the suggestions that
were made here about this.
The japanese also had not 70.
ceiyedAsny reply to their, rsQuesi
for instructions on certain Of the
points Of the treaty which refer &c
the status quo Of the Pacihc Island
Notifications. It was thought. how.
ever. that when the heads of the
delegations meet today this would
nave been settled --
SuERestion OF Friction.
Meanwhile there IL Just a sie-
gestion Of friction over some of the
statements issued by spokesmen for
the British delegation. They have
declared in rather emphatic terms
that when the Root resolutions
dealing with China were adopted
Senator Root, explaining the view
point of the American delegation
declared that q treaty was a treaty
and must be regarded as in every
way binding on the contractual
parties, whether obtained under du.
ress or not. China. being a SOW.
ereign nation. IL she had entered
into treaties, no matter what tn,
excuse for thus subscribing to them
must carry out their provisions OF
renegotiate them directly with the
other nation or nations party OF
parties thereto. The British spokes.
men insist that this will preclud.
any consideration by the presen,
conference of the twenty-one- -poin,
treaty of 1915.
Root Draws Distinction.
The British spokesmen have init.
mated that the American deIega-
tion would have to abide by the
position as they seem to under,
stand 1t. This declaration-whict
in effect would throw upon tht
shoulders of the American delega.
tton responsibility for failure oi
any part of the Far Eastern nego.
tiations-has not been any too hap.
PLY received by American circles
1t was declared that the British
construction hardly was warranted
by what Senator Root actually said
He did point out that when a State
Is recognized as enjoying sovereign
powers. coincindent with such rec,
ognition would 60 recognition o.
It's right to enter into contracts
But these contracts can always bs
considered from the basis Of wheth.
er they are valid or invalid.
Senator Root also said that :, wa,
very evident that there were trea
ties which those who made Their
might oppose on the grounds thai
there was coercion exerted in hav.
ing them made effective.
But IL was insisted that at nc
time did the Senator make any dec.
laration that would Indicate tha'
the American delegation had in ths
slightest degree prejudged the CHI.
nese situation.
Hopeful on shantung.
While the shantung negotiation.
continue In an effort to have al
of the collateral issues gotten ou
OF the way before the railway own.
ership question again Is taken up
the various delegations are tryins
their best to work out a solution
Of the chief disputed point. Messrs
Hughes and Balfcur are understood
to be doing everything they pos
sibly can to obtain an agreement
They are hampered by the fact tina,
their work must be done entirely
in an Informal manner.
Unless they should be invited by
both parties to the dispute to act
they can only use their good Of.
Aces by making suggestions. This
Is being done and II is violatins
no secret to say that both Mr.
Hughes and Mr.. Balfouf are ex.
tremely hopeful that complete
settlement of the entire Chinese
question, including Shantung, will
be reached.
Plenary Sessien Date Not Fixes.
And any suggestion that the
American delegation :. is not pre-
| pared to take every possible ster
to back up the efforts of Mr.
Hughes. Is unwarrauted. officials
~toaa t. the dels ~, fiox. Sn~3aes,..