The New York herald., 1922-02-05


day or two. thereby removing one o.
the chief causes OF irritation in th'
Far East.
Although it was not apparent to th'
great audience assembled in the beau
tiful hall erected by the women o
America. the Japanese delegates dii
not reflect the degree of enthusiasm
over at least one feature of the pro
ceedings that characterized their anna
BILE attitude toward previous ventures
This, of course, was the formal an
nouncement by Secretary Hughes oi
the abandonment by Japan of group
five Of the famous ''twenty-one points
incorporated in the treaty which the
Japanese Government coerced China
TO sign in 1915.
Eject on Japan's Program.
The effect of this concession to the
public opinion of the world can hardly
! be exaggerated according TO interna-
fional authorities. 1t will at least have
ethe effect of compelling Japan to mod
ify greatly her economic and political
program applying to Manchuria and
parts of Mongolia.
The agreement of Japan to make
these concessions will be equivalent to
relinquishing the special privileges
which she has asserted in defiance OF
the judgment of other countries. But
it can be said in the utmost fairness
that the Japanese delegates provided
no visible evidence to reflect the
chagrin which the restrictions of the
'twenty-one point" treaty will provoke
at Toxic. Outwardly they were amia-
bly, quiescent.
Not dissenting voice came from
any of the delegates when MIR. Hughes.
with meticulous observance of the pro-
prieties, monotonously invited sanction
10 the sixteen specific undertakings
calling for formal ratification. Every
decision was rendered in full agree
ment as far as the record was con-
cerned.
The atmosphere of the conference
was more democratic than at any of
the five plenary sessions that preceded
it.. There was a cheerfully human
touch to it, the delegates vieing with
the first sunny day since the recent
blizzard. Every one was In good
humor. Mr.. Balfour even perpetratd
pun or two, thereby disposing of the
American fallacy that English states
men are lacking in a sense Of humor.
The actual proceedings were about
evenly divided between the reading
and voting on treaties, and foods of
comforting oratory. most impressive
because the words of praise showered
on the officials of the American Gov
ernment, were quite free from the
banalities that usually characterize
such performances.
Most of the action was contributed
by Mr.. Hughes, Mr.. Root and Sena-
tors Underwood and Lodge. the four
American delegates. and the amazing
NJ. Camerlyncl. the official interpreter,
who thinks and talks in three Ian
suages at once without the slightest
confusion.
In the boxes. the galleries and the
space on the floor set aside for the
spectators were grouped many distin-
Guished men and women. Mrs. Har-
ding occupied one of the boxes with
Mrs. Coolidge, the wife of the Vice.
President.
Mr.. Hughes got things going in
businesslike fashion without prelimi-
naries of any sort. He asked IL there
were any corrections of the minutes OF
the last meeting. There were none
Approved.
Then he launched into a protracted
pcriod of reading reports and resolu-
tions from the Committee on Pacific
and Far Eastern Affairs. As he dis
posed of each he asked IL the dele
gates cared to discuss the subject
matter. None of them did. whereupon
he said tersely: THE United States
assents."
He looked toward Baron de Cartier
The Baron nodded. Mr.. Hughes said:
belgium assents.'
Mr.. Balfour nodded-"Great Britain
nssents."
Mr.. Sze nodded-"China assents.'
NJ. Sarraut nodded-"France as
sents."
Jonkheer Beaufort nodded-"Hol-
land assents."
signor schanzer nodder-"Italy as
sents."
Mr.. Hanihara nodded-"Japan as
sents."
viscount di Alte nodded-"Portugal
Rssents.'
! Assent by Nodding.
The form was always the same. the
assent being indicated by a nod of the
head of the leader of each delegation.
AS each assent was given there was
wave of applause. sometimes at the
end OF the reading of the resolutions,
always at the conclusion OF the pro-
nouncement of a treaty.
Mr.. Hughes first called up tho gen.
eral Far Eastern nine Power treaty
containing the four points incorpo-
rated in the resolutions prepared by
Mr.. Root. The text OF the document
followed closely and i'm some places
identically the language of the reso-
luton adopted by the conference.
There was no discussion Of 1t, and the
Rssents were quickly given.
Tt was followed by China's pledge
ritory, which was read by Mr.. Hughes.
ritory which was read by Mr.. Hughes.
Then the new tariff plan for China was
presented by Senator Underwood. who
has had considerable experience in
making Democratic tariffs in this
country. Senator Underwood explained
IL. giving brief outline OF the history
of the difficulties experienced by the