The Washington herald., 1922-01-25
TOKYO HOLDS KEY
! TOCONCLUSION OF
ARMSCONFERENCE
Plenary Session Awaits
Only Her Answer to
Moot Points.


agenda in. the armament conferences
now Is complete.
Loose ends still remain to be
woven into shape. The treaties to
bind the nations participating TO
live up to the agreements still have
to be completed. The independent
settlement between China and ia.
pan of the Shantung problem is
still under discussion but oonsii-
cred Imminent" by American dele
gates. But the completed work Of
the present conference, In the opin-
ion Of delegation leaders, expI essed
last night, can be considered u
sight "a
Whether a plenary session can be |
called TO make public the completed
work during the present week ass
still prohlematical last night Lead
ers of the American delegation said
there was a bare outside chance.
The general. opinion was that tnc
final session might not be reached
until next week.
Chinese Problems Well Along.
The great bulk of the Chinese
problems have been agreed Upon, BE
far as this conference can do So.
The details in some instances are
withheld. But officials believe that
when all the facts are assembled.
II will be found that the prosiises
given to China, in which every nc-
tion here represented has gone OF
record to carry out, will mark .
satisfactory advance toward restor-
ing China to her rightfal pace
among the nations of the woiII.
Final approval of the na"ai
treaty awaits action of the Tc-
kyo government. All other deiesa-
tions have approved the document.
The question of maintaining the
status quo in Pacific Notifications
has been referred to the Japanese
cabinet by the delegates. because
of points raised that conflicted with
original instructions. officials said
last night that they felt confident
the Japanese government vii: ac-
cept a suggestion fathered by the
American delegation which Is en-
rected to clear up this question.
Accomplishments to Date.
The agenda matters completed ir-
ciuae:
General agreement. for Limitation
OF naval armament. providing a
basis of limitation of capital ships
in which the leading nations rank
as follows: Great Britain, United
States. Japan, France and Italy.
Included in this agreement is pro-
vision for the ten-year naval holi-
day-with Observation-Disclosures
~ 70 nf
agreement on number and tonnage
of aircraft carriers and agreement
regarding armament of such ves-
sells. Submarines are not limited
either as to tonnage or number.
Agreement also was reached to
abolish poison gas in warfare al
though no Limitation was placed
upon aircraft. Because of opposi-
tion Of the French delegation all
suggestions to limit land armament
were dropped. The fve-power
treaty governing the Pacific also
has been finally approved and
signed, but has not yet been trans
mitted to the Senate. because the
American delegation believe that
all the agreements entered into by
the conference should be combined
into one document.
Agreements as to China.
On the Pacific and Far Eastern
question the conference has adopted
resolutions which guarantee the
open door and equal opportunity
for China, with commercial and in
dustriaI equality in China for ma
tionals Of every nation: agreed to
respect the territorial integrity of
China; agreed to list all concessions
and treaties for examination in the
light of day; provided that China
shall be afforded every opportunity
to develop her railways into Q
single system OF arteries that Will
open her vast natural resources to
the people of the entire world:
China in turn pledging that she
will end for all time the giving OF
preference to certain nations.
There still remain a few involved
questions affecting China which are
being worked out by committees,
but an agreement was reached
whereby the Chinese customs ta,iffs
ernment funds to stabilize her in
ternal affairs.
Status OF Siberia.
The conference considered Siberia
for two days. The japanese re-
fused to withdraw their troops at
this time, although promising to do
so as soon as possible. The con-
ference accepted the japanese posi-
tiOn. as well as that of the United
states, as disclosed in communica-
tions between the two countries.
and ruled that the positions of both
governments. as fully set forth in
correspondence and in Baron Shide-
hara's statement of Monday. should
be spread upon the records of the
next plenary session so that all of
the world should know the position
OF the governments
In this connection It was pointed
out last night that on the very face
of the public proceedings Japan is
in honor bound not to exploit Rus
sian territory, while the United
States maintains it's original posi-
tion of having proclaimed that Rus
sia's territorial integrity must be
maintained for the benefit of the
Russian people themselves.
This ended the Siberian matter
although in adjourning yesterdays
session of the conference it was
announced that should any deioga-
tion desire at future time 20 bring
it to the front they would have
right so to do.
Pacific Mandated Islands.
On the question of the inundated
islands Of the Pacific the confer