New-York tribune., 1922-12-13
u. s. Declared Ready to
Enter 8 5 or 6 Nation
Agreement With Bars Up
onTerritorial GUARANTEES
Course Considered
At Cabinet Session
No Offensive or Defensive
Pledges Can BE Given;
Immediate Action Not
Planned by President
By Carter Field

nouncement now OF President Hard
ing's plan for a conference Of Euro,
pean nations 10 settle their troubles
with regard 10 German reparations,
inter.Allied debts and 10 work out
Europe's economic salvation would
be premature, IL was stated At the
White House to-day.
As put by a White House spokes-
man, Just after the Cabinet meeting
was concluded, any announcement
at this tine would, II the languags
Of tho ,treet could be used, spill
the beans"
The President Is convinced tbs,
a conference Of the nations involve
could sit around a table and settL
these questions, following the ex'
ample Of the Washington confer
ence. At the Cabinet meeting to-day
Il was learned later, the idea Of az
plying he four-power Pacific pae.
70 the European situation was dis
cussed.
To Go No Further Nov
AZ 70 whether the United States, be
cause Of its tremendous economic ~
well as lts sentimental interest IN .
settlement Of tho European situation,
actually would be one Of the parties
Of . six-nation pact, or whatever
agreement might be worked out, would
depend. II was stated, on the eircum-
stances and conditions Al the time.
The President went hs FAR a. hs
wished for the present. Il Was ststsd,
in his message 10 Congress last week
As emphasized in The Tribune the
following morning, the President inf
mated strongly In that message that
he might pursue further the course he
had already started upon IN the Wash
ington eonfeAence, particularly as o.
lustrated by the four-power Paeiee
pact, and the naval treaty.
Gave No Guaranty for China
II was pointed out that at the Wash.
lngton conference the interests Of the
United States IN the Far East ssner-
ally and In China IN particular led
this country TO be a party 70 the trea-
ties guaranteeing ths integrity Of China
and providing the possibility Of that
nation rs-establishing Itself without
outside interference threatening the
This treaty, as was pointed out a.
/ ~ time bv sr0kesmen for the coun-
tries concerned, did not guarantees
China's ability 10 re-establish herself.
II merely gave her the opportunity %
do so, With the guaranty that she would
not be subjected 20 interference from
other interested countries In the proc
ess.
Il was made clear at tbe whlts
House to-day that when the new Ee.
ropean conference Is called at the sug.
gestion Of this country no move Will
be made which will overstep the tradi.
tional foreign policy Of the United
States, so far as entGngling ALLIANCES
are concerned. There will be no binding
promise, for example, that this country
/ will 20 10 the aid OF France II Car
many should again invade her any mors
than there Is a binding promise In the
four-power Pacific pact on the part
Of the United States 70 20 10 the aid
Of Japan II any Of her possessions
should be invaded.
breathing Spell" Treaty
The promise In the four power past
Is merely an agreement 20 hold con.
sultation with the other three mem
bers in the event the possessions OF any
one of the four nations In the Pacific
should be invaded. II IL not an of
fensive and defensive alliance. II Is
more on the order Of the breathing
spell" treaty.
Such would be tae policy Of the
United States with respect 10 any trea'
ties which might grow out Of the w.
ropean conference. This point, In the
opinion Of some Of the Presidents ad-
visers, is what the President had lh
mind when II developed at the Cabinel
meeting that circumstances and con.
dltions would determine whether the
United States would be a party 10 4
new European five or six power pact.
n II should develop, a. the spokes-
men for France certainly would desire,
that there should be a binding agree.
ment % defend each others boun.
daries, then tho United States could
not be a party 10 that, although u
might wish the nations well In theiI
trial Of that idea, and perhaps ever
lend lie moral support 70 the plan,
Too Much Like Article x r
Such a guaranty, Of course. vouif
resemble Article X Of the League oi
Nations covenant. which developed dur
ing the course Of the treaty fight n
this country % be the most unpopulp'
provision Of the entire treaty. Il WA
rejection Of this article. or az leahl
the clipping OF its claws BY a reseTye
tlon, that resulted In President WI
son ealing upon his followers In ih'
Senate 70 reject the whole treaty.
President Wilson repeatedly statt'
that Article X was the heart O
the covenant. AZ a member Of ~
Senate President Harding voted for thl
drastic reservation 20 Article x q
which President Wilson took such vio
. lent exception, and, again, consisten
with his present position on what me'
develop 70 be the same point, vote
. "a vafffv with that raaariafiOn