The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1922-10-14
Arms Meet
a S sLikely
President and Hughes Said 10
BE Sounding Out Powers
on Question of Inter.
national Conference.
May Revise Naval Pact
By GRAFTON WILCOX.
Omaha 1ses Leased Wirs.

Washington. oct. 10 -AdminIstra.
tion offiel1ls today would not discuss
reports emnDating from London and
Paris, that the United states IL
sounding out European powers IN the
proposition Of an international dis.
armament conference.
There were no denlais Of the re-.
ports, however. and there IN n we'll.
defined belief here tat the president
and Hecret1ry ~ State Iiurges ars
planning 70 Issue an Invitation 10 thu
powers for such conference. which
would bo operated on lines similar 10
the Warrington conference last win
ter. That resulted IN the naval treaty
md the four power Psclfd past.
AZ that conference land disarIna,
mcbt was included IN the agenda, bu(
the time was unpropiiions for its con.
sideratlon. II was the general un.
Gorstandlng that future conference
would be called when European ma.
tions would be In a better position 10
discuss land disarmament.
May Revise Naval Pact.
Officials today would not indicate
how goon the United States confefn.
plstedssucb 4 conference, but II IN In.
tInated that II would not be uDtH
some time next year. Ambassador
Harvey's conference Thursdsy with
Lord Curzop. the British foreign
minister, IN believed here TO have
made some reference 10 this gov.
ernmeUts ideas on the land disarma.
ment question.
II WIS dlsclosed that another three.
power conference 10 reylss the naval
treaty, IL within the range Of posi-.
bilities, The view of the Harding ad.
miDistration In that there is nothing
IN the arTns conference treaties which
IL against the interest Of France, and
therefore II IN hoped that the French
government viii find II convenient TO
ratify them ~ coon AZ possible.
The fact that United States, Great
Britain and Japan accepted the naysi
ratio Of BIS. automatically more tbsn
doubled the strength Of the French
navy, considered from point ~ view
Of reiativity, administration officials
pointed out. and therefore was greatly
to the sdvantgc of be French.
80 far as this government is ofii.
cialIy aware. there never has been any
objection raised by France TO the fsDt
that the treaty gives Italy a parity
with It In naval strength. This govern
me,it IL looking forward sxpectantIy
10 the time when the French govern.
mcnt will announce its readiness 10
exchange notifications, particularly
since the terms Of the treaties proy1Js
that they shall not become effective
until notifications have ben exchanged
by the signatory powers.
Revision Only Step.
While the administration declines to
believe France and Italy will refuse
to ratify, since there has been no Of
flcial information on that subject, II
IL admitted that the only process for
making the treaties effective In case
II should become apparent the French
and Italians did not intend u do 80.
would be for the three powers which
already have ratified 10 rewrite the
treaties TO make them effective upon
exchange OF ratification by those
powers.
Despite agitation from various quar-
Iers TO bring this revision about, sd-
officials believe II would
be most unfortunate TO have the trea
lies fall through as n result OF failure
II France and Italy 10 act. To limit
The naval treaty 10 the three leading
powers. the United States. Great
Britain and Japan. II Ia felt would
perhaps accomplish most of the things
Lhe conference set out 60 accomplish
IN the way of limiting great arina.
ments. and this viii he brought about.
I is declared, II necessary.