Evening star., 1925-11-02
POWERS HOPEFUL
Of PEK|NG PARLEY
All Prepared to Enlarge the
Scope of the Meeting
After First Week.
BY thr Associated Press.

by thH Associated Press.
With the Feking customs confer
ence safely through its first week
and showing no signs of break.
Washington officials are generally
hopeful Of the outcome, provided the
new Chinese civil war does not in
terfere.
Great siGnifca nee is attached here
to the fact that the American. Brit
ish and Japanese groups We're fully
prepared to enlarge the scope Of the
discussions as outlined by the Wash
ington conference resolution, under
which they are heinS conducted. to
the extent OF considering the tariff
autonomy question when it was
raised by the Chinese.
The State Department mas made
public only it's lengthy reports on
the first plenary session Of The con
ference last Monday. when the au-
tonomy proposal came up. but since
that time Committee No. !. Ia which
this subject WIS referred. has held
one meeting and will convene again
tomorrow. making it cie"r that moth
ing Of a nature to indicate a brea king
off of the discussion deVeloned. There
are intimations from unofficial quar-.
ters. however. that the Chinese sug
cestion that auIonOmv bn restored
hy 19@9 found no support among the
other delegates.
Tariff Autonomy.
feeling that considerable time
must pass before q central authority
can no built mp in China sufficiently
strong to Justify surrender by the
powers Of their existing treaty rights
as 10 tariffs was expressed by chair.
man Hicki Of the Japa nese deleGa ton
in his opening statement week ago.
He insisted that China herself did
not contemplate any immediate &c
ron to that end and submitted pro:
poSalS for ad interim tariff agree
mentS which went to Committee No.
on "procressional mea sures 10 he
taken during The interim period
pending rest toration OF full autonomy.
Expressing the readiness of his
group to discuss the matter in the
friendlieSt way" the Japanese spokes-
man told the Chinese delegates that
inauguration of 2 regime OF tariff
autonomy in China implies the eN-
.SrenCe of an Adequately strong and
unified government and preSupposes
complete removal of all restrictions
which might impede the intercourse
Of trade between China and the other
powers" He added that the growth
Ing itself" in China was an indication
that the Chinese people would succeed
"in accomplishing reform toward
these ends. q much desirable for their
own welfare as for the common good
Of All nations"
The British chairman'S declaration
or readiness to discuss autonomy AT
this conference or. if that cannot he
arranged. at a later date. also was
q
Ia hliShment of q union independent.
. orderly and prosperous in China was
essential and lay in the hands Of the
Chinese themselves. His attitude fore
shadowed rejection of any suggestion
that autonomy could he granted with
in three wears. short of unima ginabie
strides toward new era of central
lied power in that country.
MacNlurray Is Guarded.
Even Minister MacMurray, voicine
the American desire that nothing
should he allowed to prevent construc
tive action by the conference for the
mutual benefit. was guarded. He
limited himself to expressing willing
ness To consider any reasonable
plan" China might present with
view To realizing Chinese hopes and
aspirations in regard :" The tariff.
In view of these decla ra lions. il ap-
pears unlikely that committee No.
has yet got beyond general expressions
of opinion as 70 the time required 10
establish 4 sufficiently strong Chinese
central government. Officials here.
nevertheless are encouraG Ged by the
progress Of the Peking conference and
the lack of any sign OF possible
break.
Meanwhile the three-Cornered con
test among the leading Chinese mill
tarists may undermine the whole con
ference structure il reports in Peking
that FenG Yu-hsiang had turned
? cainst Chang Tso-ln should he con
frmed. such a development would
wrest the provisional government con
troll from Changs hands. in the opin-
ion Of observers here. and cause de-
Law of the customs conference until
the civil war decided the issue As to
which Chieftain, Feng or thanS's old
enemy. Wa Pei-fu. was to dominate
the next civil regime In Pekinc. Off
rial advices have not given u clear pic
.ture Of what is happening in the war
between Wa and Chang. nor disclosed
which side Feng. who appears to hold
iIitarI- ba of will