ARMS CONFERENCE DRAWS EYES OF ALL THE WORLD Statesmen TTR Wasuingron, D. C.,, Saturday. MMENSE as was the intqrest taken by | the world in jhe congresses of Berlin and Vienna, where the diplomats and Prime Ministers of the great Powers of the world sat down to carve the world to suit themselves or their royal masters, this in- terest fades beside that with which the world now views Washington as the opening of the conference of limiting arma ts ap- proaches. The day of the opening is No- vember 11, anniversary of Armistice Day, when the greatest war in the history of the world was ended. Now not the rulers and the leading men of each nation involved, but the peoples of every civilized land, will watch anx- ously the proceedings of the conference, for there is no citizen so small of repute but has at stake some vital interest. If it were a mere question of a reduction of taxes that would come up for discussion this would be of personal weight to every man in every country which now includes the civilized world. But , things much higher in the scale of civilization are to be affected by what will be said and done in Washington, and the world waits breath- lessly to learn how the iniportant person- ages gathered in our national capital will focus their efforts to curtail war prepara. tions and drive far away. if not entirely out of sight and mind, the dread of future Wars. On Armistice Day, November 11, 1918, this war weary world heaved a sigh of re- lief and murmured that modern strife on an ascending scale such as had been wit- nessed in the preceding four years was not longer to be thought of. But the wish to do away with armaments could not accom- plish that miracle; and thoughtful and far- seeing men saw that the future was fraught with every sort of danger. Europe Left Almost Helpless Economically and Spiritually The countries of Europe were left after the war in almost a helpless state economi- cally and spiritually. Civilization itself was on trial for its life. The balance of power had been disturbed by a huge vacuum, where Germany and Russia once had been, and into this vacuum world values whirled with resulting chaos. In this disordered state of the world statesmen of other countries looked to America and they openly asserted that the help of this country was essential tg the return of Europe to a normal state." The participation of the United States in the world war, coupled with the projection of our influence in the Far Bast, had, they stated, inescapably united the affairs of this nation. with the affairs of other nations. President Harding early in the summer by his issuance of a call for a conference on the question of limiting armaments re- vealed his appreciation of the poig y of the situation and the willingness of Amer- ica to meet and grapple with it. Both the President and Secretary of State Htighes recognized the gravity of the situation and the magnitude of the problem, and they took what action they could looking to a solution of these world problems to remove recurring possibilities of war. The call issued to the mations by Presi. dent Harding last July brings together an assemblage of international statesmen the like of which never before met on Ameri- can soll. The conference will mark the abandonment of our attitude of "splendid isolation," occasiu>ad by nothing but a de sire to rm a worl" service, and the United States will herearer he di guished as hoc: of the greatest world con- to the Powers to join in the conference, did not lose the opportunity to make clear are combined [ and in that of spokesmen, because they know that » Washington Fi » they cannot have the first without the sec- ond. Seeds of War Germinating In Far Distant Asia It is no diplomatic secret that the seeds of war are germinating in Asia at pres- ent. They expect, with a certain right that grows out of common sense, that our delegates to the conference will seek to kill these seeds of war, not only that armaments may be reduced in fact and not merely on paper but that there need be no fighting in the Pacific. Thus it was specified in the call to the conference that without some definite understanding to be arrived at in the Pacific problems disarmament talk would amount to a merely academic discussion. It is ac- knowledged to be the aim of the confer- ence to eliminate the danger now rec- ognized as resting in the Pacific, to as- sure recognition of American rights in the Far East and to safeguard the "open door" policy in China. President Harding's Address To Be Delivered Nov. 12 The conference, then, promises to be a second peace conference, of greater im- portance than that which was held at Ver- sailles. Upon. its success is expected to depend the future well being of the world. It may be asked why, with so many in- terests involved other than those just mentioned, interests peculiarly European, America should have taken the lead in this world movement. Those who ask. this question have no doubt forgotten that the first suggestion that America have the greatest navy in the world was broached in 1916. The plea for the largest navy had weight then, and it still survives. At any rate, we set the pace then for naval rivalry. It was fitting, therefore, that this country should call the conference to limit navy competition. As the United States is least vulnerable from a naval stand- point and is the most self-contained and powerful of the three naval Powers, it is prepared to excel them in candor, trust and generosity in the present conference. The programme of the first day will be perfunctory only, merely getting into work- ing order, for this day, November 11, will be marked by the impressive ceremonies at the burial of the Unknown Dead in Arling- ton Cemetery. On the second day the conference will begin in earnest to determine whether the nations can id the future live without the prodigious armaments which are today thought necessary. Thus on November 12 President Harding in Continental Hall of the D. A. R. Building will deliver the key- note address. It is not known which of the delegates will follow the President. Very likely it will be a member of the British delegation, and if Lloyd George be here the second speaker will no doubt be the famous British Premier. Although there has been no official an- nouncement, it is believed that presiding over the conference will be Charles Evans Hughes, Secretary of State and head of the american delegation. The third and fol lowing days of the conference will see the delegates bled in the Hall pt the Americas in the Pan-American Building. Occasionally, however, to satisfy public curiosity other semi-official meetings will take place in the D. A. R. Building, but these will be formal only and the real work of the conference will be dome behind closed doors, in the committee rooms, in drawing rooms of fashionable Washington houses, in hotel apartments and a hundred and one otilér places where the world dele 'gates will gather. : * The number of countries bidden tothe conference on limitation of armaments and Far Eastern questions is fixed, of course, but these delegates do mot, by dozens, complete the number of assistant delegates, so to speak, who are in Wash- ington or on the way there. Already so many assistants and experts have arrived hotels, lodging houses and apartments. How much of the real work 'of the dele - gates will be made public as it proceeds is not to be arrived at by guessing. Very lt- tle, it is sald by those who know some thing of the ways of world diplomatists, but they say also that the great demand of State | Reogevelt Cabinet, 85 to cramp the resources of Washington = Senator from ew York, ling Fast With Leading Armistice Day Marks Opening of Momentous Gathering of Keenest Minds From All Quar- ters of the Globe Harding to Aid Called by President Permanent Peace-- Pacific Question to Get First Consid- eration Because of Its Menace-- Thumbnail Sketches of Leading Delegates--Meetings in D.A.R and Pan-American Buildings The President, in view of the far - reaching importance of the question of limitation of ar- mament, has approached with informal but definite in- quiries the group of Pow. ers heretofore known as the Principal Allied and Associated Powers, that is, Great Britain, France, Italy and Japan, to ascertain whe- ther it would be agreeable to them to take part in a con- ference on this subject, to be held in Wash- ington at a time to be mutually agreed upon. If the proposal is found to be acceptable, formal invitations for such a conference will be issued. It is manifest that the question PRESIDENT HARDING'S CALL of limitation of armament has a close relation to Pacific and Far Eastern problems, and the President has suggested that the Powers especially inter- ested in these problems should under- take in connec- tion with this conference the consideration of all matters bearing upon their solution with a view to reaching a com- mon under- standing with respect to prin- ciples and pol- icies in the Far East. This has been communicated to the Powers concerned, and China has also been invited to take part in the discussion relating to Far Eastern problems. Washington, D. C., July 10, 1921. weight. The United States as host to the Powers cannot lay down the rules. Per- haps 'on the second or third day of the con- ference it will be decided what to give out and what to keep en camera. Secretary Hughes, however, has ex- pressed his purpose privately to give out from time to time statements setting forth the attitude of the United States as the parleys proceed. There are. many details concerning the parleys yet to be announced. The names of the advisory committee of fifteen, two of them to be women, who are to assist the four American delegates in every way pos- sible, have not been given out by President Harding. Some foreign delegations have even larger entourages, while othérs have none at all. The agenda of the conference has al- ready reached the public, but no anonounce- ment has been made whether the Far East- ern question will come up first or follow the disarmament question; the feeling is, though, that these will proceed concur- rently, In the settlement of the Far East. ern question is bound up the Chinese ques- tion. The Chinese problem, it is thought, is one of the most menacing. China is to be represented by a divided delegation, representing respectively the north and south Chinese republics. Minor discords, especially those relating to the Anglo-Japanese treaty, will be solved, it is hoped, without injury to the feelings of either the Japanese or the British. In September President Harding an- nounced the appointment of the completed American delegation to the 'conference. In his letter the full title of the conference was given. It is "The International Con- ference at Washington to Discuss Arma. ments and the Far Eastern Problem." The American delegates are Secretary of State Hughes, Senator Henry Cabot Lodge (Mass.), Elihu Root, former Secretary of State, and Senator Oscar W. Underwood (Ala.), Democratic leader of the Senate. These delegates are not plenipotentiaries, but will serve in Washington under the personal direction of the President. A brief resume of their career is interesting on the eve of a new adventure. Secretary of State Hughes resigned the Governorship of New York to accept a place qu the Supreme bench and resigned the judgeship to take the nomination for President of the United States on the Re- publican ticket. He was defeated by Wood- row Wilson and was appointed by Wilson's successor to his present office. © He was born in Glens Falls, N. Y., April 11, 1863, and admitted to the bar in New York, 1884. "Blihu Root is a member of thé Perma- nent Court of Arbitration at The Hague; president of the American Society of In- ternational Law; member of commission to draw up plans for a permanent world 'court. He was born in Clinton, N. Y,, Feb- 15, 1845; Secretary of War in Me- nley's Cabinet, 1899-1904; Secretary of t, | 1905-09; 1909-15. in the Senate, was born in Boston. May 12, 1850. He was editor of the North Ameri- can Review, 1873-76; member of Fiftieth to Fifty-third Congresses; 1887-93; Senator since 1893. Leading Foreign Statesmen Will Appear As Delegates The following are the members of the delegations of the various countries to the conference so far as they have been offi- cially designated. In certain instances, as of Lloyd George and in "e case of Italy, alternates have been named if the Pre miers of those countries find it impossible to attend. Two delegates will represent the conservative element of Russia. One delegate comes to represent Austria and one also comes from Portugal. The delega- tion from China is complete. The delegations are as follows: FRANCE--Aristide Briand, the present Premier, was Minister of Justice, 1914-15. He was born in Nantes, 1863, and educated at St. Nazaire. In 1902 elected to the Chamber of Deputies for the first time. In 1906 he became Minister of Public In- struction and Worship. Has served as Premier in 1909, in 1913 and in 1916. His home district is the Loire, and at the com- mencement of his parliamentary career he was numbered among the Socialist party, along with Millerand. He aided in bringing about the separation of Church and State, but as Premier of the present time he has conciliated the Pope, and France and the Vatican now exchange Ambassadors. * Rene Viviani, former Premier; Envoy Extraordinary to United States in 1921; at present Minister of Foreign Affairs; Minister of Justice and Public Works in 1917; Minister of Public Instruction in 1914; came first to America with Marshal Joffre in 1917. Louis Loucheur, Minister of the Lib- erated Regions; a railroad man in 1899; formed contracting firm for utilizing water power of Prahee; Assistant Minis- ter of Munitions during war and then Min- ister of Munitions under Clemenceau. GREAT BRITAIN--Right Honorable An- drew Bonar Law, born New Brunswick September 16; Chancellor of the Ex- chequer and leader of the House of Com- mons since 1916; a member of the coali- tion war Cabinet; formerly an iron mer- chant; Parliamentary secretary of the Board of Trade 190206; Secretary of State for the Colonies 1915-16; leader of Oppo- sition in House of mon 1911-16. Right Honorab Winston Churchill, Secretary of State for War since 1918; Minister of Munitions in 1917; born No- vember 30, 1874, son of late Lord Randolph Churchill. Member of Parliament from Dundee since 1908; served in India; Home 'Secretary 1910-11; First Lord of the Ad- miralty 1911-15; National Liberal in poli- tics. J Sir Arthur (Hamilton) Lee of Fareham, Minister Board of Agriculture and Fish- eries since August, 1918, with seat in Cabi- net; sion Oscar W. Underwood, United States Sena- eral tor since 1915, was born In Louisville, Ky., May 6, 1862. He was admitted to the har in 1884 and was a member of the Fifty fourth to Sixty-third Congresses, 1895-1915; chairman of Ways and Means Committee Sixty-third Congress. the public for open discussion may have Foreign a - rens Fisher, F. R. S, 1820; President of Board of Education since 1916; M. P., Sheffield, from 1916-18; M. P. from English universities since 1918; born London, March 21, 1865. Right Honorable David Lloyd George, Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury since 1916; Member of Parlia- ment from Carnarvon since 1890; Liberal, born Manchester; President of the Board of Trade, 1905-8; Chancellor of Exchequer, 1908-15; Minister of Munitions, 1915-16; Secretary of State, 1916. ITALY -- Senator Albertini, editor of Corriere della Sera of Milan. A supporter of Gen. Cadora and a promoter of that Congress in Rome of Nationalities forming the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which aimed at the dismemberment of that country. He is accompanied by his son, who will act as secretary. He is 50 years old. Tommaso Tittoni, President of the Sen- ate, 1920; delegate to the Peace Conference, 1919; delegate to the League of Nations since 1920; born Rome, 1855; Senator since 1902; Secretary of State for Foreign Af- fairs, 19036; Ambassador to England, 1906; member of Court of Arbitration at The Hague since 1912; Ambassador to France, 1910-16; Minister of State, 1916. Viterio Scialola, Minister of Foreign Af. fairs since 1919; Minister without port- folio in Italian Cabinet, 1917. Premier Bonomi; Premier in 1921; formed new Cabinet in July; held port- folio of Ministry of Foreign Affairs. JAPAN--Takashi Hara, Premier; edu- cated Imperial University of Tokio; op- posed to military clique; first commoner and business man to hold office of Premier. Prince Tokugawa; visited America in 1910; deprived of succession to Shogunate by revolution of 1866; President of House of Peers in Japan; born 1863; studied in England from 1877-1882; Chamberlain of Imperial Court, 1882; visited America, on way to England, In 1877; will be chief of delegation to Washington; his appoint. ment constitutes recognition of the Diet. Vice-Admiral Tomosaburo Kato, Minister of Marine and Navy. Baron Kijuro Shidehara, Japanese Am- bagsador to United States since 1919; be- fore that Vice Foreign Minister in Japan; born at Osaka in Kawachi; graduate, 1895, College of Law jn Imperi University; Consul at London and Antwerp; counsellor of embassy at Washington, 1912; Minister at The Hague; Vice Foreign Minister from outbreak of war till 1919. RUSSIA -- Anti-Bolshewiki represeata- tives from Russia: Nicolai Avskentieff, President of Constituent Assembly before revolution; Prof. Paul Milukoff. AUSTRALIA -- Hon, George Foster Pearce, Acting Prime Minister in 1916; Member Commonwealth Parliament of Aus- tralia since 1901; Minister for Defence, 1908-9, aleo 1910-13 and since 1914; born Mount Barker, South Australia, January 14, 1870; began life as carpenter; began public life organizing trade unions and political societies; president Trade Labor Union Congress, 1899; member Imperial Conference, 1911. PORTUGAL--Mildo Barretto. CHINA--Dr. W. W. Yen, Foreign Minis ter. x Dr. V. K. Wellington Koo, Minister Plenipotentiary to London; graduate Co lumbia University; formerly Ambassador to Washington; president of the Council of the League of Nations; is 34 years old; was English secretary to President Yuah Shih-Kai. Dr. C. T. Wang, graduate of Yale, 1910; held out against signing Versailles treaty in May, 1919. Scene of the Conference Has Picturesque Setting Dr. Sao-Ke Alfred Sse, Ambassador to United States; formerly Ambassador to Great Britain; graduate Cornell Univer- sity; director of Northern Rallways In connection with the Washington confer- ence, Across B street is the great: cement structure built during the war for the War and Navy departments, in which there is now much surplus space. This building will be partly used as offices for sections of the British, French, Italian, Japanese and Ghinese delegations to the conference, Immediately north of the Pan American Building, on Seventeenth street, stands the white marble hall of the Daughters of the American Revolution, with an audi- torium that will seat more than 2,000 per- sons. This will also be made available for any large meetings. Also on Seven- teenth street, adjoining the D. A. R. Build- ing, is the white marble home of the Amer- ican Red Cross, which has quarters that may also be utilized for smaller sectional meetings. Next to that, also on Seven- teenth street, is the Corcoran Gallery of Art, with a large hemi-cycle which can also be used for meetings. Well considered plans are being made for the entertainment of the visitors from overseas, and the powers that be at the State Department are already immersed in preparations. The Japanese delegation will be exceed- ingly active socially. The Japanese are one of the few nations not particularly hard hit by the war. The supposition that they will do a lot of entertaining is borne out by the fact that the Japanese Embassy has leased the residence 2000 Massachu- setts avenue for the conference. It is to be used for offices to relieve the pressure on the chancellery in N street and probably for the more official entertaining. The Ambassador will continue to live at the big house in K street which, has been oc- cupied by several of Japan's envoys. From all over the country, all over the world in fact, are coming men and women who want to keep a finger on the pulse of events. . Consequently houses are at a pre- mium 'and wiseacres are predicting the gayest as well as the most stimulating winter Washington has ever had. Many things will combine to bring this about. The Republicans are again in the saddle after eight years; they have money, many of them, and they are making prep- arations for a social campaign which will take one back to the good old days of the Taft and Roosevelt administrations, More- over, the President and Mrs. Harding seem to have a genius for hospitality. They are mapping out a full and varied social pro- gramme which will include many dinners and receptions. While no definite information can yet be obtained -about the entertaining for the delegates to the conference, it is safe to prophesy that there will be one big formal party at the White House, probably a re- ception in their honor, and another at the Pan-American Union. Then there will be, of.course, a grist of dinner parties given by and for the visitors from overseas and a round of balls at the embassies and lega- tions of the countries represented will con- tribute to the season's gayeties. The liquor floodgates are down, and choice brands of all grades of fine imported liquors are entering American ports in heavy volume to supply the refreshment reeds of the delegates and their guests and friends. Washington at the start of the arms parley and as long as it continues will be distinctly wet. Washington's distinguished guests will enjoy all of the Immunity which clothes a foreign diplomat and shields him from molestatfon by dry law 'agents or other police officers. It is estimated that the interpational gathering will cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $8,000,000. This is based on the approximate estimate of an expend. ture of $1,000,000 for each of the larger countries, with a smaller sum for the more unimportant participants. The cost to the United States will be less than that of the visiting Powers in spite of the fact this Government is in the posi- tion of host. » An appropriation of $200,000 has alrehdy been made to cover the expenses, but this will not represent the total cost to this Government. Contingent funds of the various departments will be drawn upon, while much of the work of the conference will be done by departments whose over- head expense would go on just the same if the conference were not held.