Middletown transcript., 1922-02-11
Farley The First Deliberate And Ef
fective Attempt OF Great Pow.
ers Toward Peace, Says
The President.

Conference on the Limitation of Arma-
ments and Far Eastern Questions came
to its end with the signing of treaties
and a farewell address by President
Harding. With its work characterized
by Mr.. Harding as "the first deliberate
and effective expression Of great Pow
ers, in the consciousness of peace and
wars utter futility," the Conference
went to It's niche Of history to await
the judgments and developments of the
future.
In the great assembly hall of the
Daughters of the American Revolu-
tion, where all it's open sessions have
been held, the delegates Of the nine
nations assembled marched in turn
to space at the great green baize
table and affixed their signatures to
treaties and agreements which are all
parts Of the structure built to lift
from a war-worn world the burden of
excessive naval armaments; to pro-
mote the peace Of the Pacific; to give
a new bill Of rights to China and to
remove from the Far East particularly
the clouds Of war:
And as each delegation affixed sig
natures as plenipotentiaries pledging
the honor Of their respective nations
to the good faith of the settlements
agreed upon, the great audience ex-
pressed the hopes of the world in its
loud and prolonged applause.
At the conclusion of the ceremony
of signing President Harding deliv-
cred his address, formally closing the
Conference as he formally had opened
it little more than ~ weeks ago.
The session brought out the largest
crowd of the Conference. Scores sat
in the aisles and stood around the
walls. Mrs. Harding, Mrs. Coolidge,
Mrs. Gillet and other wives of officials
had seats in the boxes.
AS the prominent delegates arrived
the spectators applauded Arthur j.
Balfour, head of the British delegation,
got particular attention.
Many Of the delegates were busy
signing autograph albums.
The session was called to order at
1902 o'clock with a prayer by Rev.
William S. Abernethy pastor of Cal
vary Baptist Church, which President
Harding attends.
Amid applause, Secretary Hughes
announced that the Shantung treaty
between Japan and China had been
signed Saturday.
"The treaties will now be signed,'
announced Secretary ->1gnes and the
American delegation filed around to
the foot Of the big green topped table
of the Secretary Generals desk, inside
the inclosure, and began signing. Sec
retary Hughes completed his signature
at 10.12 o'clock.
The signing was in this order The
United States, Belgium, Great Britain,
France, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands,
China and Portugal.
The signing of the last Of the docu-
ments was completed by the Ameri-
can delegates at 1915 A. NJ.
To save time the red wax seals had
been affixed previously, and Confer
ence attaches standing at the elbows
of the delegates pointed where each
was to write his name. Belgium was
next, and Baron de Cartier, the only
Belgian delegate, took his place as
Elihu Root arose from the table. He
had two treaties to sign, the genera
Far Eastern and the Chinese tariff.
The seven British delegates, headed
by Mr.. Belfour, signed next. They
affixed their signatures to all five of
the documents.
Mr.. Belfour signed at 1922 o'clock. |
There was prolonged applause as
the seven British delegates marched
around to the signing place. While |
the British delegation was signing mo-
tion-picture photographs were taken.
At 1882 the Chinese succeeded the |
British at the table and began sign
ing. China is party only to the Far
Eastern and the tariff treaties and her
three delegates finished signing them
at 1875.
Albert Sarraut and Jules Jusserand. |
the only two French delegates remain
ing in Washington, followed the Chin
ese and finished signing the treaties
and the supplements in which France |
is concerned at 1898.
Senator Schanzer, Ambassador Ricci
and Senator Albertini for Italy had
four treaties but no supplements to
sign. 1ney completed at 1042 A. M.
To the accompaniment Of roar of
applause the three japanese delegates
filed around to the table. Baron Kato