The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-01-12
AGREEMENT
IN SIN0-JAP
ROW is NEAR
Hughes and Balfour Give
Proposal to Toxic
and Peking.

Washington, Jan. II. = (By the
Associated Press. "A series of in
formal proposals and alternatives
looking to a compromise of the
Tsingtao-Tsinanfu railway dis
pute has been submitted jointly by
Arthur J. Balfour and Secretary
Hughes in settlement of the Shan
tung question, and are now under
consideration by the Peking and
Toxic governments. Developments
NAV be expected within the next
few days, it was learned on high
authority today.
Washington, Jan. 12.-(By the
Associated Press. "A difference of
opinion regarding rules for the dis
position of prescribed battleships
remained to be settled by the Big
Five" today when they resumed
their final revision of the naval
limitation treaty.
Agreement on this point was ex-
pected without prolonged debate,
however, and with the entire text
Of the treaty proper already vir-
tually approved, and the first of
the treaty anneXes, embodying a
replacement chart disposed of, the
delegation heads hoped to have the
treaty completed and ready for
public discussion at a plenary ses-
sion on Saturday or Monday. To
make this possible, the Japanese
delegates expected to receive to-
morrow Tokio's reply to their mes
sage regarding the Pacific fortifi-
cation agreement
Argue on Ship Scrapping.
On the question of rules for dis
posing of prescribed battleships
the proposal~of the American dele
CATION that such vessels be rem
dered entirely useless failed to re-
ceive yesterday the assent of Great
Britain and Japan whose delegates
suggested that the ships after be-
ing dismantled, might be used as
harbor guards, or training vessels.
They argued that absolute scrap
ping would mean useless financial
waste France and Italy, however,
readily supported the American
position that such use of the YES
sells would not accord with the
spirit of the scrapping agreement.
Prospects for a quick adjustment
Of the Notifications issue now re-
ferred to Toxic were strengthened
today by the declaration of Vice
Foreign Minister Hanihara that he
saw nc objection to including Bo-
min island and the Oshima group in
the Status quo" agreement. These
Islands, he said, were the only
ones that had come up for discus
sion in connection with the ques-
ton brought up by inclusion in the
draft treaty, as coming under the
agreement, some of the territory
Japan had regarded as a part OF
her home land"
Won't Discuss "21 Demands"
While the Japanese and Chinese
held another meeting today on the
Shantung question, after reaching
tentative agreement yesterday re-
gaTding withdrawal of Japanese
troops within the province, plans
Tor resumption of the general far
eastern negotiations were being
laid by members of the various del
egations.
Regarding China's plea for con-
slderation of the "21 demands" the
prediction in Japanese quarters
that this would be quickly ruled
out by the far eastern committee
appeared to be supported generally
by American official opinion. There
were indications that Japan's OBJ
!ectlons to the Chinese request,
when formally brought forward,
Will be supported not only by the
americans, but by the British, and
probably other foreign delegations
as we'll.