The New York herald., 1922-01-16

| carried off in an automobile.
proved to be highly satisfactory to
everybody concerned. There are, as
said, no ghosts" TO haunt the cor
ridors of the State Department, the
conference halls. the Pan American
Building or the Navy edifice. in which
most of the administrative work is per-
formed.
There is some little dissatisfaction
expressed in the legislative branch Of
the Government caused by political diff
ferences, conflicting temperaments.
prejudices of a parochial character.
lack of understanding. and probably
because of defeated ambitions in the
line OF publicity. The conference un-
doubtedly has crowded over into the
back pages the ululation of many
statesmen struggling with surcharged
emotions. a rush of blood to the head,
frequently mistaken for an ipspira-
ton, and interfered somewhat with the
ventilation of personal grievances and
political ventures of purely domestic
character and interest.
which would probably bore the public,
have provided the home talent with
''look in once in while. but there al
ways. has been the certainty that as
soon as specific international events
were ready for public direction popular
interest would swing with them.
Satisfa ction with Sen Program.
American. British. Japanese. French
and italian delegates have indicated
their satisfaction with the naval pro-
gram to be adopted. Only the dele
gates and their technical advisers have
any idea of the complexities that have
made most difficult the preparation of
the most important naval treaty ever
subscribed to by maritime Powers.
The adjustment of these differences of
views has required the utmost pa
tience, tact and regard for perfectly
natural ambitions.
The American delegates on more
than one occasion have been called
upon to act as friends, counselors
med,ators, arbitrators and possibly to
exercise judicial functions. They seem
TO have done so without forfeting the
friendship and respect of their foreign
associates or to have encouraged any
Of the potential animosities that
usually result from international con-
ferences.
One thing is positively certain. The
American delegates have succeeded to
the fullest extent in convincing their
international conferees of the unself-
ishness of the United States Govern
ment and of the sincerity of not only
it's motives but their own personal
motives. The foreign delegates have
not got everything they wanted by
any means. The more candid of them
admit this fact, but they also give
unstinted credit to their American as
sociates for fairness. common sense
and generosity. There are no ghosts
in or out of the Washington confer
ence.
Four Power Treaty.
The actual accomplishments Of the
conference have been much more pre-
tentious in scope than appears to the
casual eye. The delegates are conf
dent the tangible results are much
more gratifying than they had hoped
for at the outset. Next TO the gen.
cral naval plan they agree that the
four Power treaty, which automati-
caIly abrogates the Anglo-Japanese
alliance. Is by far the most important
achievement of the conference.
Critics OF this instrument who are
unsuccessfully attempting to recruit
popular opposition to it assert that
the alliance has not been scrapped
but merely diluted. This opinion does
not seem to be shared by the news
papers or the people of the country
generally, which in itself Is a tribute
to the sincerity Of purpose OF Presi-
dent Harding. Secretary Hughes, Elihr
Root. Senator'S Lodge and Underwood.
These Government officials are su-
premely confident that when all the
treaties and agreements are placed be-
fore the Senate opposition to them
will vanish or evaporate in the verbosi-
ties of the .filibusters. One OF the
most impressive features of the Gov
ernment position over the four Power
treaty is its manifest readiness to ac-
cept any suggestions that may be
deemed actually necessary to safe
guard the constitutional and Legislative
policies Of the country. The American
delegates believe they have discounted
opposition in this respect in the con-
struction OF the treaty itself.
Practically all the criticism Of con-
ference undertakings has revolved
around the four Power treaty. There
has been little IL any directed against
the agreements relating to fortifica-
tions, inundated islands in the Pacific
and the future control of communica'
tions in that region of the world. These
agreements are conceded by critics OF
the conference to protect fully the
rights and privileges of this country
in the Pacific.
Most of the delegates believe fairly
complete program finally will be pro-
vided for the correction OF the inter
national embarrassments provoked by
the assertion OF superior rights by
Japan in the Far East.
TTynKECTAM pRINCE