The St. Johns herald., 1922-01-05
EARLY SOLUTION OF ALL ISSUES IN BIG WASHINGTON CON-
 FERENCE IS SEEN.
CAPITAL SHIPS FIXED
cHINA-JAP QUESTION TURNING TOWARD AGREEMENT; HALT
 IS NOT DEADLOCK.
(Westsru Newspaper Union News ssrvies.)

Washington. = Formal negotiations of the arms conference is at a stand- still, but delegates continued personal consultations which appeared to strengthen the general confidence of an early solution of all the points re- maining at issue.
 With definite capital ship ratios agreed upon by all five of the principal powers, there was reVcafed a feeling that limitation of auxiliary craft was largely a minor question of detail ill the settlement of which the individual desires of the nations could be gener- ally accepted. The view was expressed that the real business of the confer ence had been accomplished i'll the linn itation of first-line ships.
 France is to present her estimates for auxiliary vessels to the naval com mittee, and although she is expected to ask for a submarine and cruiser strength out of prOpOrCiOn to the cap ital ship ratio fixed for her, no one appears to regard the prospect Of ad- justing her claims as difficult. It is not understood to be regarded as es- sential by conference leaders that cap ital ship ratios be applied ligidly down the line through smaller vessels.
 In the Shantung negotiations. too, the informal conference developed new indications of q trend toward agree ment. The Japanese, who are await ing further instructions from TOkiO regarding the terms of withdrawal from the TSingtaO-Tsimanfu railroad, expressed the opinion that the tenn pOrary halt in formal exchanges with the Chinese did not constitute a seri- Ous deadlock Similar expressions came from other delegations although the Chinese seemed inclined to fear that the discussions had encountered q serious obstacle.
 The delegates of all the powers con- tinued an animated discussion among themselves regarding the question of interpreting the new rOur-pOwer Pa cific treaty. The difference in view re- vealed between President Harding and members of the American delegation, relating to the application of the trea- ty to the principal islands of the Jap aneSe empire, furnished the chief topic of personal conversation among many of the foreign plenipOtentiaries, who privately expressed themselves as un- able to understand how such Situa- tiOn had developed.
 No further explanation was forth  coming from the White House or from members of the American arms group. but it was declared in State Depart ment circles that there existed nc question of the attitude of the Ameri. can government. The interpretation of the American delegation, it was said, holding that the treaty does not apply to the major Japanese islands. stood as the official American view
 Treaty opponents in the Senate launched another attack, which cen tered about the White House state ment. Senator Reed, Democrat, Mis- souri, declared that the difference of view between the President and the American plenipOtentiaries was new proof that the treaty had been drafted "so as to deceive" The whole incl dent, he asserted, betrayed a policy of twisting and turning" clOaked be hind a curtain of secret diplomacy.