The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-01-05
Conference Committees
Are Making Definite,
Steady Progress.
ONLY BIG PROBLEM
is SUBMARINES
Little Opposition Expect
ed Against New Root
Resolution.

Definite progress toward winding
Up the many loose ends Of the naval
armament committee was made yes
terday.
Today there will be meetings of
the Far Eastern and the naval COM
mittees. IL the progress hoped for
is accomplished there will be
plenary session Of the armament
conference tomorrow. or at the
latest Saturday, 10 clean UP the
naval problem.
started Full speed Ahead.
The various conference commit
tees, after having been in the dol
yesterday. The naval experts COM
drums, started ahead full speed
pleted their consideration OF the
ship-scrapping rules. The Chimes.
tariff committee. Of which senator
Oscar w. Underwood is chairman.
completed its decision on the Sariff.s
Today IL will report back TO the
full committee and will suggest
that il approve the decision. shan
tung again became a subject for
early agreement
The tariff decision places in I'M
mediate effect a fiat > per cent ad
valorem duty on all imports into
China. II also provides that, should
an investigation BY a committee
demonstrate that such action Is
necessary. the tariff shall be ad-
vanced TO n per cent All Of The
powers here represented favor the
IA per cent tsriff excepting the
Japanese delegation, which has pro-
9 la fFaH "a
pose an unfair burden on Japanese
merchants. However, il Is believed
Japan will consent 10 the increased
taiifT so soon as IL is shown that
the revenues under IL are needed by
China TO increase the effectlVeness
Of the existing Pekin government.
The Shantung negotiations were
resumed last night, after having
been suspended since December 10
at the request tof the japanese dele
cation. Messrs. Balfour and Hughes
continue in the role OF mediation
observers and will settle any guss-
ton that cannot be arranged by
the direct negotiations between the
two delegations. Early and com
plete agreement was said 10 BE-
certain.
II is expected that at today
session OF the Far Eastern com
mittee the question OF spheres ul
Influence in China will come up for
further consideration. The Chinese
are hopeful that they vIll be able
10 have the delegates examine into
the sO-Called twenty-one points
which were forced on China by
Japan in 1915 following the occura
lion of Shantung by the japanese
H.
will oppose this. as they declar.
that tue twenty-ons points were in
c"rporated in a treaty and made
applicable in that way. and that,
because this is the case. this con-
ference has no jurisdiction. as the
subject is one that directly concerns
only Japan and China.
Are Extremely Optimistic.
However. officials generally were
extremely optimistic last night in
discussing the outlook. They pointed
out that. even though no further
progress on Far Eastern problems
shall he made than already Is aC-
complishcd, a very great step for
ward - guaranteeing Chiua's ma
tional integrity has been taken.
There must Of necessity be delay in
settling certain Of the still disputed
points, but the general attitude has
been such that the Chinese govern
ment must recognize that everything
is to be done to give il its proper
place in world affairs.
The naval subcommittee has COM
ploted its program dealing with the
application of the naval holiday, ~
that France is conceded the main
Joints for which she contended. The
subcommittee also has agreed upon
the standards for measurement In
compiling tonnage of naval craft.
This does away with the five stand
ards that have been brought into
use in the present conference.
The full naval committee. when
IL meets, will consider the report
of the subcommittee. and also will
consider, in addition. the methods
that are to be enforced in scrapping
ships. 1t also will debate the two
pending amendments TO interna-
tional law applicable 90 submarines.
as proposed by Elihu Root. IL is
believed certain that a very lengthy
discussion will be required before
agreement can he reached on these
latter points. So far as the gen
eral application Of the law that
would make pirates out OF officers
responsible for unrestricted subma-
rine warfare is concerned. the Vari-
Gus delegations are agreed that
such action is all right as a general
proposition.
Want All TO Accept.
Naturally some Of the nations
here represented want all OF the
naval powers OF the world TO sub
scribe to such a declaration before
IL is accepted by the present gath
erinE. Failure OF all to accept
might give certain nations a very
potential advantage in case Of war
against a nation such as Italy.
which has TO depend for nearly All
OF her raw materials on her mcr-
chant fleet. IL all nations indOrse
the plan. OF course the delegations
now here would be glad to dc 50.
So far as the suggestion that here
after submarines shall not be used
as commerce. destroyers, is con-
cerned, the French and Italians