New-York tribune., 1922-02-06
Foresecs Enduring " orld-
Wide Peace and Return
of Prosperity in Plan
for Continuing ParIcys
Ideal Association
OF Nations Nearer
President TO Voice Hopes
i'm Farewell Address To-
day TO Arms Delegates
By Carter Field

w .H'oi il-N ~ / w, ct. ~ it7t-
dent Harding will urge, in his fare
well address to the armament limita-
ton conference tomorrow. that the
conference method Of dealing with
limitation and intcrna-
tional controversies, so successfully
inaugurated by the present gather
ing, be continued
The President will not lay down a
specific plan for future gatherings,
according to his advisers. but viii
content himself for the present with
sketching tho general idea. This is
that future conferences should n
each instance include the nations
particularly concerned in the prob
lens to be solved, and that gradual
ly the conference plan should be
broadened until the worlds contro~
veries are being settled IN this fash.
ion, without war. and. incidentally.
that the terrific cost Of keeping pre-
pared for war shall ne lifted from
mankind.
The President has already seen.
in this conference. the beginning Or
practical, hard-headed progres=
along the line of the association o..
nations which was so strongly in his
thoughts during the campaign Of
1920, and to which he constantly re
fe11ed. BIT although The work Of
the present conference naturally is
continuing ard while it has succeed
ed beyond the expectancy Of mary
Of bis friends, the President :
frankly looking for even greater az
complishments.
The President is obviously leaving
out every cgotistica thought, h.a
friends declared to-day, in his o~s
dreams as to the ultimate development
Of the conference idea he has in-
augurated They say the Presidents
mind las turned very largely. in hi,
thoughts Of futurr conferences. on ono
which will be held at the end OF ma
ten-year naval holiday.
Mr.. Harding believes that anoths:
treaty Will be negotiated among ths
sea powers at some conference TO bs
held just before the expiration Of this
holiday, which viii continue the treatT.
50 that the building of big fighting
ships viii never be resumed. This
thought is entirely Independent Of the
outcome of the present question as II
whether the airplanc has made the big
lighting ship obsolete.
Looking to Gut in Armies
Long before that, the President
hopes, possibly within year or two,
there will be an agreement amoue he
nations with large armles which '-ib
lift that burden from the taxpayers.
result in buying power being largely
increased, and thus aid IN the economic
restoration Of the world in addition 20
removing the threat of way always Goa
tained in the existence of large army.
This plan of continuance OF the
conference, those close to the Prcsl-
dent point out, meets every nint that
he has given from time to time rs to
what the association of nations -
which he referred in his campaign
speeches should be. 1t avoids the idea
of a supe ergovernment. 10 suggestion
of compusion OF any one power even
by a unanimous vote Of the others Is
involved and the results are t. BE-
achieved by discussion and persuasion
under the direct pressure Of public
lp pfria
This, of course. as has been demon
strated in the conference Just ending,
is far removed from "open covenants
openly arrived at" As a matter g
fact all of the real negotiations in the
conference, with the exception of tho
smashing proposal for naval armament
reduction made by America at ths
opening session, have been behind
closed doors.
Public Opinion Recognized
In practically every controversial
question. however, there has been such
full detail given to the press each
day that public opinion has had an
opportunity to bring its weight TO bear
on the decisions.
Perhaps the best illustration of this
was the inclusion of the main islands
Of Japan in the original four-pows-
Pacific treaty. This was found objec-
tionable Immediately TO public opinion
not only in the United States but in
Japan. although the members of the
conference believed at the time AMI
still believe that such inclusion did
not make any real difference. The
supplementary four-power treaty -
frankly concession to public opinion.
In the case OF the Japanese battle
ship Mutsu, which under the originai
Hughes proposal was to have been
scrapped. it was found that Japanese
public opinion would not support their
representatives IN Welding her for
destruction, even if they had beeg
willing to do SO, with the result tn. t
another balance had TO he struck
There is 10 doubt that the Japanese
yielded enormously to public opinion
IN America with regard 10 The Shan
tung settlement.
The French representatives have
e hr1xn Cl< .,.lx- -.