Newspaper Page Text
?U, MERCHANDISE
?DVEBTISED IN THE
jg?BtJNE IS GUARANTEED
Vot. LXXXI No. 27,396
^*?b^^^ IT?.' ?j. j._ r .
First to Last?the Truth: News?Editorials?Advertisements
THE WEATHEK
Rain to-day and probably to-morrow;
moderate southerly winds.
JKtill Kr port on l.f??t fag?
TWO CKNT8
In Ore-trier New York
T?RKE CKVTS
Within 200 Mil*??
rom cf.nt.*;
Uunhwi
Japan Will Ask for Larger ?
| Five Powers Agree to Chii
'roportion of Warships;
la's Demands, in Principle
?, R. T. Stocks
paid Millions
Over Receipts
Dividends Given in 1917
'18-'19 Exceed Earn?
ings, Testimony Shows
it Transit Investigation
Solvency Question
Evaded by Auditor
Valueless Securities-Called
Assets; $65-625,000
Made on $21,620,000
Th? refusal of Edward P. J. Gaynor.
?editor of the Interborough Rapid
Trans?t Company, to answer dir?ctly a
rfjfstion dealing with the solvency of
U*ee?mpany yesterday caused the first
r'ijh in the Transit Commission in
?ftatigtaion.
After he had repeatedly evaded the
littrrogaticn, which George McAneny,
chsirman of the commission, insisted
?veral times he respond to, Mr.
Giynor was charged by Clarence J.
Shearn. special counsel of the commis
fSB. with "dodging and hedging about
?nJaiitting a palpable, disagreeable
?act." Gaynor was temporarily ordered
from the witness stand.
It was also brought out yesterday
tilt in 1917, 1918 and 1919 the Inter
korough had paid out in dividends $7,
W0.OOO more than had been earned in
tits period.
Inquiry Into Dividend
Part of the examination was based
im t' e balance sheet of th? Interbor
eugh company as shown in its statu
?or. report to the commission for the
jiar ended June ?0. 19-1, the desire
?f the commission being to* ascertain
fhether dividends had been paid out
if surplus, as contended by the com
??auy, or out of capital.
Mi*. Shearn inquired of the auditor
fta the New York and Queens County
?ailway Company stock, issued at a
tir value cf over $3,000,000 and bought
y the Interborough for ?2,895,160, was
?rried in the balance sheet at cost
among some $19,000,000 of stock of
associated companies, when if was
ihown that the New York-Queens line
had a deficit of $4,677,000 and an an?
nual net operating loss of $634,855.
For almost an hour Mr. Shearn en?
deavored to get a direct answer from
too witness, who persistently held to
his initial response that he had no
authority to answer the question, but
that he was confident the company had
?bided by the universal system of ac?
counting prescribed by the rules of the
Immission.
Both Mr. Shearn and the witness
?Mxa visibly stirred. After conferring
???a moment with Chairman McAneny,
It. Shearn tersely addressed the wit
?1??:
| "The commission is disposed to ex
! Um you from the stand and take jsuch
Masures as may be required to com
??1 a responsive answer."
Witness Must Answer Questions
?Mr. Gaynor, flushing, started to leave
?? itand. but Mr. Shearn, after a mo
?*nt of reflection, said that the action
? th? commission would be held in
??yanca and that he desired to ques?
tion the witness further on other
MW of the Interborough's financial
?in as. contained in the balance
. ding to the rules of the com
?tarion, a witness who refuses to an
**?*' questions may be prosecuted for
??demeaaor or be made the subject
'W Matempt charges in court.
*5. Gaynor will answer the question
Wen the hearing is resumed next
aflnday morning, it was indicated at
?JW ?oie of the session by James L.
JiMCkenbush, chief counsel of the Jn
g?*"?-?--?? who said he would advise
??^witness to make response.
' * ?o not like to have this hearing
??owned without purging any ap
g-f'Wce of contempt," said Mr.
y?c**Pn8l-- He went on to explain
i*f Mr. Gaynor might have been
?????hat cautious, adding, "the corn?
il'?0'? will remember there is a cer
j*"1 gentleman in this town named
?Menee Venner and I am endeavoring
? ?Ppose his activities in court for
?M Parp?se of ruining this company.
.,"?*?? Venner is president of the Con
???ntal Securities Company of New
(Ctntlnu?d m pas* six)
Humors of Bomb Plot
Cause Washington Stir
rfjce Search Capitol Dome in
*wn for Anarchist Re
, Parted Loitering There
?Ac? Tr*oune'3 Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, Nov. 17.-A bomb
***??? ?t the Capitol caused great activ
^?mong police and Secret Service
t?U*??Lthe 5ePa>*tment of Justice this
^/noon Rumors that an anarchist,
?!? here b?V the Arms Limitation
fyitoT fZ' *-Was loite"n* about the
?Pean.?? Jhe PurPose of blowing it
*Mtt.f e ?"?tement. One report
?^lfSrT .f? attemPt would bo made to
??It th ?,0mb in tbe dome. A3 a re
<??i?.i? Vap,to1 P?lice ordered the
?Waet?? TV *ound of a suspicious
*t*W either about the dome or
Itffi an" the scare then subsided.
?W?. ped ln this connection that
Sn/rf arm' limitation conf?rence
l?fH ent of Justice has had a
^Wc-?wu"!* Service ??rents detailed
W&e*<* ?,01 to ass'?t in guarding it.
m^eZ' t.the department of Justice
W?nT Jiuep?n8: a close eye on all
?tr?fi! *he?'e there is Bpecial activ
S?%,nA.?f *he conference. The
alt t??. ? t"18 ?8 the apprehension
AwL *?rt,,nt character of the
?S!;11 attra?t cranks, and per
m
"Roadof Remembrance*
Planned Across State
ALBANY, Nov. 17.?Two thou?
sand elm trees will be planted on
the road between Syracuse and
Utica early next spring as the
possible beginning of a "Road of
Remembrance," extending from
New York City to Buffalo, as a
tribute to New York soldiers who
died in the World War.
?Unionists Back
I Premier's Irish
! Policy, 20 to 1
Party Meeting After Fierce
Attacks by tue "Die
Hards" Gives Vote of Con?
fidence to Lloyd George
Ulster Waves'Olive Branch
Note to the Government Ex?
presses Willingness to
Resume Informal Parley
From The Tribune's European Bureau
Copyright, 1921, Now York Tribune inc.
LONDON, Nov. 17.-^By a vote of ap?
proximately 2,000 to 100 the Unionist
party, in session at Liverpool this
afternoon, indorsed the government's
policy in its efforts to bring about
peace in Ireland, after an acrimonious
debate. The vote smashed the second
attempt of the Tory extremists to dis?
rupt the Irish negotiations, and their
defeat was even more complete than it
was in Parliament recently.
While this was taking place the re?
ply of the Ulster Cabinet to the latest
communication of the government was
delivered in Downing Street and for?
warded to Premier Lloyd George, who
is enjoying a holiday at Bournemouth.
The reply was understood to reaffirm |
strongly Ulster's stand against acced?
ing to the government's proposal, but
it contained also the hint that informal
conversations might be held. It was
accompanied by strong representations
that the correspondence between Ulster
and the British government should be
published, to which the government is
not likely to agree. Nevertheless, the
tone of to-day's events, taken as a
whole, was favorable.
Session Is Dramatic
The action of the Unionists support?
ing Lloyd George's efforts toward Irish
peace came as a climax of the dra?
matic session in Liverpool to-day. The
"die-hards" entered the meeting with
high hope3 of success, but before a vote
was taken it was evident that they had
come to think discretion the better
part of valor.
Early in the session the Earl of
Derby was elected president of the
National Unionist Association, and in
a speech acknowledging his election he
said he did not disguise the fact that
it would require all possible tact and
intelligence to hold the party together.
The Irish situation came vividly be?
fore the convention when Lord Farn
ham declared that the Unionists were
living under a reign of terror, and Gen?
eral Prescott Decies made a fiery
speech, asserting that- if the British
government did not intervene the
Ulster forces could suppress the Sinn
Fein in nine months.
Colonel Gretton, who was the author
of the motion of censure in the House
of Commons which was voted down two
weeks ago, then proposed a resolution
which amounted to a vote of lack of
confidence in Lloyd George.
"It would be a crime to hand Ireland
over to a murder gang with power to
raise an army which would curse Ire?
land and menace England, and prob?
ably entail conscription here," de?
clared the Colonel, warning the Union?
ists that the failure of his resolution
-would lead eventually to the destruc?
tion of the Unionist party.
Calls Feiners Assassins
In a violent speech supporting the
resolution, which was frequently in?
terrupted, Colonel Archer Shee de?
scribed the Sinn Feiners as "miserable
assassins whose proper place was in
jail or on the scaffold."
Lord Midleton, however, who assert?
ed that he had supported the Unionist
cause longer than most of those pres?
ent, arose and criticized the govern
(Csntlnuftf en pag& six)
50% Surtax
Adopted Over
Harding Plea
House, by 201 to 173,
Votes to Accept Senate
Maximum Rate, Despite
Request for Compromise
Farm "Bloc" and
Democrats for It
President Urged 40 P. C.
Limit to Release Capital
for Necessary Industry
From The. Tribune's Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, Nov. 17.?Disre?
garding an appeal from President Har?
ding to fix the maximum surtax rate
at 40 per cent, the House this after?
noon unexpectedly agreed to tho Sen?
ate amendment to the revende bill
calling for a maximum of 50 per cent.
The vote was 201 to ITS and disposed
finally of the many cornered contro?
versy over the rate which should
supplant the present levy of 65 per
cent. The original House provision
was for a 32 per cent tax.
The change of sentiment in the
House on this important point in the
tax bill was somewhat of a surprise.
When the measure was originally con?
sidered in that body the vote on the
surtax maximum- was emphatically for
Secretary Mel Ion's recommendation of
?2 per cent plus, of course, the normal
8 per cent tax. The Senate subse?
quently increased the rate to ?0 per
cent, and it was expected that when
the House took a direct vote on the
question to-day the deadlock would
continue.
In anticipation of such an outcome.
President Harding intervened with a
compromise suggestion just before the
House met. The President expressed
, the Administration's views on the
problem in a letter to Chairman Ford
j ney of the Ways and Means Commit?
tee, which was presented to him at a
White House conference attended by
the other House conferees, Represent?
atives Longworth, of Ohio, ana Green,
of Iowa.
Harding'a Letter to Fordney
President Harding'a letter to Chair
I man Fordney said:
"My Dear Mr. Fordney:
"In response to your inquiry as to
the wisest coime in dealing with the
differences between the two houses of
Congress in the matter of higher sur?
tax on incomes, I can say only that, in
view of our earlier conference on tax
matters and the ultimate adoption of
the higher surtax rate of 32 per cent,
I still believe the rate approved by
the House to be the nearer to a just
levy and th? more promising one in
returns to the public treasury.
"The responsible Administration is
anxious, first of all, to levy the neces?
sary taxes to meet the demands of
the Treasury. There is a moral obli?
gation, however, on the party in power
to do everything to keep faith with
promises made to the public.
"We have been collecting the high?
est surtax on incomes levied at this
time in all the world. The effect has
been the restriction of the easy flow of
capital in the channels most essential
to our normal and very necessary ac?
tivities. No one challenges the levy
of the higher tax in the stress of war,
but now we are struggling for the
readjustments of peace.
Suggests Equitable Compromise
"Where there is so wide a difference
in the judgment of the two houses I
have thought it might be possible, and
wholly desirable, to reach an equitable
compromise, say a maximum surtax
levy of 40 per cent. This would put
the higher Federal tax on income at
a total of 48 per cent, which would
measurably meet tho expectations of
those who are, above all else, concerned
with the return of hopeful investment
of capital and the application of our
capital resources to profitable '. pro?
ductivity. I am wholly confident that
the helpful results spreading there?
from to every active participant in our
industrial and economic life, from
management to every wage earner,
would be vastly more advantageous to
our people than the maintenance of
war-time levies as peace-time penal?
ties on capital, which are certain to
(Continued ?n paj? four)
Gandhi Forces Riot as Bombay
Welcomes Prince ?With Cheers
BOMBAY, India, Not. 17 (By Th?
Associated Press).?Coincident with a
procession escorting the Prince of Wales
through Bombay to-day serious dis?
turbances occurred in the native quar?
ter, attributed by the authorities to
agitation by followers of Mahatma
Gandhi, the Hindu "non-co-operation
ist" leader, resulting in casualties. The
procession itself, however, was not
marred by any untoward incident.
LONDON, Nov. 17.?The Bombay
correspondent of "The Times" says
the "non-co-operationists" had made the
utmost efforts to render the boycott of
the Prince of Wales's visit effective, but
the only result was an overwhelming
and tumultuous reception, surpassing
all possible expectations.
Experts eay imvill be a severe blow
to Gandhi and h*, party of discontent.
But the correspondent refrains from
prediction. At the moment of the
demonstration Gandhi himself was
somewhere in Bombay, but is reported
to have been assisting at "a farcical
bonfire of imported clothing."
At one ?ol-nt removed from Ihr- r*r>*r
of the procession & small number of
rowdies got out of hand and threw
stones at passing motor cars containing
Europeans.
Referring to the disorder the cor?
respondent says: "It is not impossible
that it was purposely organized in the
hope of in some small way offsetting
the enthusiasm of the Prince's wel?
come. But it was absurd."
Rcuter's correspondent describes the
reception of the Prince by the pop?
ulace of Bombay when he landed, and
during the four-mile circuitous pro?
cession through the city.
The splendid military cortege at
various points along the route touched
the fringe of the native bazaar, where
there was tumultuous enthusiasm un?
precedented in the history of Bombay.
The route of the procession was
lined with British and Indian troops.
A public holiday had been declared
and all the inhabitants closed their
shops and 'flocked into the streets to
greet the Prince, whose manner of
bearing made a great impression.
The correspondent adds that al?
though the political atmosphere in
Bombay is rather tense, the tour of
the heir to the crown is considered to
'?-?-? on?nV>rl wOb snlf-ntUd ftromif*-?.
f
Japanese insist on
Holding Port Arthur
WASHINGTON, Nov. 17 (By
The Associated Press).?In dis?
cussing Fi'ench suggestions con?
cerning China, authoritative Jap?
anese said to-night that-it was of
course indispensable to Japan
that she should maintain her jur?
isdiction over the leased territory
of South Manchuria, of which the
port is Dairen, or Port Arthur,
but that Japan might be ready to
discuss a plan of making Port
Arthur purely a commercial port
and not a naval or military base.
Germany Warns
It May Declare
Itself Bankrupt
Finance Minister Asserts
There Arc No Funds for
- ihc Reparations Due in
January and February
Tells of Huge Deficits
Threats Believed To Be for
Consumption of Allied
Board and Arms Council
By Joseph Shaplen
Special Cable to The Tribune
Copyright, 1921. ry?w York Tribune Inc.
BERLIN. Nov. ?7. ?Germany must
proclaim herself bankrupt unless the
Allies revise their reparations program,
Minister of Finance Hermes; leading
candidate for the ambassadorship at
Washington, informed the Reichstag
to-day.
Germany, said Mr. Hermes, had no
funds in sight with which to cover the
500.000,000 gold marks reparations pay?
ment due January 15 and the second
quarterly export payment due Febru?
ary 15. Her deficit this year would
amount to more than 126,000,000,000
marks,'he said.
Would Influence Indemnity Board
Hermes's statement undoubtedly was
made for the consumption of the Repa?
rations Commission, now in Berlin, as
well as the Washington conference.
"Germany," Hermes said, "has no
money to cover these two important
payments, and this explains that cat?
astrophic decline of the mark. There
is no way to escape this situation,
which is pregnant with the most se?
rious consequences, economic and po?
litical, not only to Germany but to the
entire world, except in the case of re?
lieving Germany of part of her bur?
dens..
"Unless Germany obtains an exten?
sion on forthcoming payments or relief
in some other form the moment which
was predicted by John Maynard Eeynes
will soon arrive when Germany will
be compelled to proclaim herself in?
solvent."
Hermes demanded the immediate lift?
ing of the military sanctions as well as
granting a moratorium to Germany as
methods by which the desired relief
may be obtainable. The Reparations
Commission, according to the treaty,
had the right to grant to Germany
such moratorium if it finds that the
conditions justify it, Hermes said.
65 Billion Expenditure
Discussing the government's taxation
program, Hermes pointed out that the
government expects to increase its re?
ceipts by about 42,000,000,000 marks,
but this will not cover the disburse?
ments determined chiefly by the pro?
visions of the Versailles treaty. While
the government originally calculated
on this year's regular expenditures at
48,000,000,000 marks, recent develop?
ments, especially the lightning-like
fall of the mark, have raised this to
65,000,000,000 marks.
The government's total of expendi?
ture, however, now has been raised to
114,000,000,000 marks, and a rail?
way deficit of 57,000,000,000 marks will
drive the total deficit up to 110,000,
000,000, to which must be added the
salary increases of government em?
ployees and other expenditures.
Germany is absolutely unable to
cover this deficit with new taxes, it
claims. Unless the Allies are willing
to see the situation and act accordingly,
Hermes said, Germany is facing a com?
plete devaluation of the mark and a
consequent economic and financial
crash.
? ' ?' .???
Twin Sisters Use Poison
To Settle Love Problem
Officer Who Courted Both Is
Stake for Which Swigs Girls
Gamble With Death
GENEVA, Nov. 17.?The love tragedy
of twin sisters who drew lots for death
by poison became known in the Inns?
bruck courts when one of them was
tried for murder and acquitted.
The girls, daughters of a farmer
named Goldheim, fell in love with a
former Hungarian officer, who was un?
able to distinguish one girl from the
other and courted both, thinking he
was always with the one si?ter. The
officer, when he realized the situation,
asked the girls to decide which should
marry him.
They solved the problem by prepar?
ing a gla?s of water and a glass of
poison. They drew lots and the loser
drank and died. When the surviving
sister was arrested tho officer disap?
peared.
i? *
I'lnehnrst, >'. C.?Golf and all other ?ports.
Many championship event?. Through
Peking Plea
Put First at
Conference
Points Will'Be'Taken Up
One by One in Order
in Which They Appear
iiiAgenda U.S.Proposed
Kato Is Reticent
On Evacuation
Admits Only That Plan
Is Acceptable as Foun?
dation for Discussion
By Thomas Steep
WASHINGTON, Nov. 17,-Led by
the United States, China has now ob?
tained "acceptance in principle" by five
nations of her proposal that she bo
permitted to join the family of modern
civilizations on the basis of an open
door, policy, expulsion of all foreign
control and territorial integrity of her
whole domain.
Silting as a committee for the con?
sideration of Pacific and Far Eastern
questions, the delegates to the con?
ference, with Secretary Hughes in the
chair, decided to-day to put China's
claims first on the calendar in the set?
tlement of issues relating to the Ori?
ent. At the outset the French and Ital
i ian delegates declared their countries
; were in full accord with the American
; policy that China should be permitted
; self development. Great Britain and
j Japan already had indicated they rc
l garded the ton principles laid doyn on
I behalf of China by Dr. Alfred Sze as a
? suitable foundatioh for later discus
; sion.
j Sub-Committee Devises Program
Meantime the many problems involved
i in China's demands are to be taken up
j and considered one by one. The gen
? eral committee appointed a sub-com
j mittee, composed of the chairmen of
; all the delegations, whose duty will {be
| to formulate a progr?m for the use of
i the general committee. The general
| committee adjourned to meet at the
call of the chairman, while the sub
! committee continues at work.
The official statement issued after
'? the session, which was executive,
i pointed out that the Chinese subjects
j were to be treated in the order listed
? in the agenda contained in the call of
I the conference. The statement read:
"The sub-committee, consisting of
the heads of the delegations of the
powers participating in the discus?
sion of the Pacific and Far Eastern
questions, decided to recommend
that at a meeting of the full com?
mittee of the delegates there should
be first an opportunity for general
discussion of the questions relating
to China and then there should be
discussion of the various particular
topics in the order listed in the
tentative agenda which had been sug?
gested by the American government,
with a consideration of the propos?
als submitted on behalf of the Chi
1 nese delegation in connection with
the appropriate heads to which the
several proposals relate."
Territorial Integrity Leads
Under the order laid down in the
agenda the subjects called "questions
relating to China," which are first to
be outlined in principle and then out?
lined as to their application, are:
Territorial integrity.
Administrative integrity.
Open door?equality of commercial
and industrial opportunity.
Concessions, monopolies or prefer?
ential economic privileges.
Developments of railways. '
Preferential railroad rates.
Status of existing commitments.
Ninety-nine-year leases on territory,
ports, mines and railroads, so-called
"spheres of influence," control of post
offices, customs and the limitation of
the amount of duties which China may
impose on imports are involved under
these designations.
Having accepted the Chines? de?
mands "in principle," Japan has decid?
ed to await developments. Baron
Shidehara, the Japanese Minister, was
to have given an interview at 5:80
o'clock this afternoon on the Chinese
(Cff-ntfnued en next paga)
Limitation of Dinners
Looms at Arms Parley
Entertainment Pace So Fast an
Alimentary Holiday May
Be Called For
WASHINGTON, Nov. 17 (By The
Associated Press).?Delegates to the
arms conference and the long train of
dignitaries and sub-dignitaries which
accompany them are beginning to show
the effects of the grind.
Not the grind of work, although that
is enough, but the grind of the con?
tinuous performance of luncheons,
dinners, receptions and late suppers
which have been going on since last
week.
Many prominent international diges?
tions have already begun to call for
"a holiday." Many snappy and close
fitting uniforms are getting closer and
lesa snappy. The telephone girls who
jingle the bell and warble "good morn?
ing say the responses are becoming
less diplomatic.
It all means that the conference is
working full hours and playing over?
time, and it begins to look as though
there might have to be a limitation of
entertainment with some sort of a
replacement program to be agreed
fr--;-'-'
Lodge Predicts Conference Will End
Its Deliberations Before Christmas
From The Tribune's Washington Bureau.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 17.?That, the Conference on the Limitation
of Armament will conclude before Christmas was a prediction made
at the White House to-day by Senator Lodge, a member of the Ameri?
can delegation. .Senator Lodge discussed the progress of the conference
with the President, and later said: .
"Both th?'President and myself are well pleased with the way the
conference is progressing. ' It is moving faster than I expected. I
hope it will not slow up."
The Massachusetts Senator pointed out that undoubtedly Far
Eastern and' Pacific questions, as well as technical phases of the con?
ference, would take time for settlement. He expressed an opinion, how?
ever, that Christmas would witness the affairs of the conference
cleaned up.
France Ready
To Help China
Realize Hopes
Desire for Development o?
Autonomous Nation Is
Expressed After Briaud
Confers With Colleagues
! ii do-China Held Immune
Suggests Giving Up Kouang
tcheou; Japan, Shan
tung; Britain, Weihaiwe
By Boyden Sparkes
WASHINGTON, Nov. 17.?For tw
hours to-day Premier Briand and th
other members of the French delega
tion conferred on the Chinese pre
posais. Afterward Albert Sarrau
French Minister of Colonies and on
of the delegates, interpreted for newt
papermen the French attitude towar
the aspirations of China.
France, M. Sarraut said, desires tl
development of an. autonomous Chili
capable herself of guaranteeing' i\
safely of the persons and projp?rty.'<
foreigners dwelling within her border
France finds herself in accord wit
the spirit of the United States ar
earnestly desires to help, Chipa reali:
her aspirations, territorial, politic:
and commercial.
If Great Britain is willing to give v
Weihaiwei and Japan would evaci
ate Shantung and the Port Artht
Peninsula, France would be h?ppy i
restore to th? Chinese Kouangtcheo
which she leased in 1898. But.stahi
ing in the way of such a change tl
French find an awkward situatio
China is torn by revolution. Portioi
of the vast domain that once wasirult
by the Mancbus are now in a state i
anarchy. Powerful groups of band!
keep the Chinese authorities from fun
tioning over great areas.
Border Especially Menaced
Piracy and banditry are especial
serious, for example', along the bbrd
of French Indo-China. Only la
month the native police of Indo-Chii
had to disarm a force of defeat
soldiers of the Cantonese army, whii
fled across the border. As long
such a state of affaira exists, it w
not be possible to grant even liber
to China. ? ..
For seven years M. Sarraut was Gc
ernor of Indo-China. He said to-d
he felt that he understood the Cl
nese people and entertained fe
ings of deepest sympathy for th?
aims. Incidentally it was made cle
that France does not regard Ind
China, with 25,000,000 inhabitants,
a part of China.
Ethnically there .is, perhaps, soi
excuse for the view that this territo
is part of China, but historically
belonged to the Oriental kingdom
Annam. If, however, some questi
should be raised as to the rectificati
of the Indo-China border, with its ?
miles; of tortuous frontier, 'Frar
would be willing to discuss t
boundary.
Above all France is sympathe
with the efforts of the Chinese lead?
China'sProgram
Inspired by U.S.,
Simonds Says
Good Authority for Sugges?
tion America Impelled
Proposals to Force Far
East Decision, He Asserts
Hints at Oriental Pact
Joint Opposition to Interna?
tional Control May Link
Nations on Other Issues
By Frank H. Simonds
WASHINGTON, Nov. 17.--Thanks to
the Chinese offensive on Wednesday,
the situation is now squarely up to
Japan. It remains for her to disclose
her own hand in the Far East, and for
the moment Japanese strategy seems
to be hesitating between a counter-of?
fensive and a passive defense.
It is true, however, that there is a
marked inclination in well informed
quarters to regard the Chinese ges?
ture as far les3 Chinese than Ameri?
can. There is very good authority for;
the suggestion that the ten proposals j
made by China on Wednesday , were j
made at the instance of the United j
States for the double purpose of plac-1
ing China on record and opening the i
way for a Japanese declaration.
I am reliably informed that Chinai
only reluctantly yielded to American ?
suggestion in. making her proposals,]
which have already become the ten
commandments of the Chinese situa?
tion. It is not suggested that the
United States government had any?
thing to do with the character of the
Chinese proposals, although they bear
a striking resemblance to certain
American propositions which have
been advanced in recent years and
days, but it is indicated that China
would never have moved as she did
without American impulsion.
Would Bar West From East
Nevertheless, the value of the Chi?
nese move to American strategy has
been somewhat diminished by the fact
that the Chinese proposals were vague
in the extreme. Moreover, the Jap?
anese have for the moment eluded the
necessity of a definite utterance by a
perfectly reasonable request that China
indicate what she means by each of
her ten proposals and do what, outside
Of diplomatic language, we call "get
down to brass tacks." The mere West?
erner knows so little about the realities
or the methods of the Oriental mind?
and some of the methods of thought
and of action are so different from our
own?that it 5s foolish in the extreme
to undertake to interpret Chinese or
Japanese moves, or to do more than
show what they seem to mean.
It is worth recalling, too, that while
China and Japan are separated on
every other question they are united
in their desire to Keep the West out
of the East, and China will have the
solid support of Japan against-any
project which suggests international
control, political or economic, for
China, with the possible exception of
that of the Four-Power Consortium.
Now, given the fact that China and
Japan are united on this one large
(Continued on next page)
Armament Conference Solely
Harding's Plan, "Insiders" Say
WASHINGTON, Nov. 17 (By The As?
sociated Press).?Who formulated and
executed the call for the armament
conference? Who evolved the Ameri?
can proposals for naval limitations?
The country has been asking these
questions for a week and has been
hearing a variety of answers. The
best "inside story" in Washington to?
day has all the earmarks ojf being
the correct answer.
President Harding, on one of his
week-end cruises down the Potomac
late last summer, so the story runs,
locked himself in his stateroom one
evening and left word that he did not
wish to be disturbed because he was
writing. A little later the President
called to his room, one by one, some
of the close friends in public life who
had accompanied him and laid before
them some sheets of paper on which
he had written with lead pencil, and
with frequent corrections and inter?
lineations, something which they all
read with amazement and greatest in?
terest.
It was the invitation to the nations
to the arms conference.
After some conferring it was de?
cided to forward the text to Secretary
Hughes, and the yacht Mayflower, laid
?p for the night in the still waters of
a secluded cove in the reaches of the
river, buzzed off from her wireless
that night to the Stute Department
the words which later were to ring
,,..?...,,4 *V,? _.rt.|^_ j?
Of course the preliminary diplomatic
feeler was transmitted to the nations
concerned, but it is said that the text
of the final and formal invitation as it
later went out was substantially the
same as President Harding had con?
ceived it that night while resting on
the yacht Mayflower down the river.
The evolution of the concrete Amer?
ican proposals for naval limitation?
Secretary Hughes's bombshell ? also
heard around the world at the first ses?
sion, is still another story.
Some admirers have ascribed them to
Secretary Hughes alone, while some
other persons have declared they were
the composite effort of the four Amer?
ican delegates, of whom Mr. Hughes is
one. Everybody seems agreed that
they were not drafted by naval officials
and almost everybody had left out
President Harding until to-day's "in?
side story" began to circulate.
The great secret, to which Arthur
J. Balfour referred so artistically in
his address of Tuesday, must indeed
have been well kept, because between
seven and ten men knew it. That num?
ber includes the four American dele?
gates and President Harding. Th<
others worked on various phases of th<
ftroposal. It is known, of course, thai
t was based on memoranda callee
from the Navy Department and it was
carried into execution by the Americat
big four, headed by Secretary Hughes
But the "big idea" on which the plan i?
built, the "inside story" say?, cam?
Public Views
Having Effect
?On Delegates
! Attitude of British and
j Japanese Is Influenced
by Strong Sentiment
for Hughes's Proposals
-
Ship-a-Year Idea
Quickly Discarded
KatoApproves Submarine
Program, but Asks for
More Light Cruisers
By Carter Field
WASHINGTON, Nor. 17.?Both
the Japanese and British delegations
are being moved in the direction of
the American proposals for the
I limitation of naval armaments by
pressure of public opinion at home.
The movement may be slight, but it
is obvious from several developments
to-day, which brought the conference
so much nearer an agreement that
no one was surprised when Senator
Lodge, one of the American dele?
gates, predicted it would complete
its work before Christmas.
Japan, it was made known, will
! urge that the proportion of her bat
{ tleship fleet to the American and
| British be increased from 60 per
I cent, at which it in fixed in the Amer
i ican proposals. She will also urge
that she be allowed as large a fleet
j of light cruisers as either Britain
or America, but is conten? with the
j allotted tonnage of i-.ubmari.ne*--*.
j Ship-a-Year Idea Dropped
The British turned right about
face on the much discussed idea at?
tributed to them that the shipyards
should be permitted to build a bat?
tleship a year during.the ten years'
naval holiday. A member of the
British delegation expressed sur?
prise at the amount, of publicity
given tliis thought. He indicated
that several plans to prevent th<
absolute scrapping of the armoi
plants and gun factories were beinj
considered by their naval advisers
but said no concrete proposal ha*
been shaped. This alleged objectioi
by the British delegation to th
American plan has been warm!
criticized in some of the leadin
British newspapers.
On Pacific and Far Eastern question
Albert Sarraut, one of the French den
gates, publicly voiced the willingnei
of France?as outlined last week in Th
Tribune's Washington dispatches?1
give up her spheres of influence, cpi
cessions and leaseholds in China if tl
other powers interested would do lik
wise. Particular reference was ma*
by M. Sarraut to the British holding i
Weihaiwei and to the Japanese
Shantung. The French are willing al
to give up their extraterritorial righ
in China, if the other nations will mai
similar concessions, and they also e
pressed a willingness to arbitrate t
boundary between French Indo-Chi:
and China proper.
Oppose Secret Negotiations
Sympathy was expressed by t
French for the Japanese requireme
of raw materials and for expansi?
but their faces will be set, it was ma
cloar, against any secret negotiatio
with regard to Ch'ipa between the otl
pow(*rs.
The French have thus gone a lit
further than any other nation in d
cussing the Chinese proposals, but
opposition is expressed to accepting 1
proposals as a program for disci
sion.
It was agreed to-day that th<
should be a full discussion of I
Chinese proposals at the next meet
of the full committee on Pacific ?
Far Eastern questions. This comn
tee consists of all the delegates of
the powers represented at the coni
encc. Following this general disc
sion, however, the committee will f
ceed to the consideration of the Pac
and Far Eastern questions in the or
in which they were stated in
American agenda. This decision
tually means that China will be gi
her day in court, but the decision
not be handed down, until after
other Pacific and Far Eastern pi
lems have been taken up.
Kato Issues Statement
Admiral Baron Kato, the Japai
Secretary of the Navy, voiced the
concrete proposal for amendment
the American naval armament lin
tions to-day when he issued the
lowing statement:
"Because of her geographical p<
tion, Japan deet-ns it only fair at
present time that the other int
ested countries should agree that
maintain a proportion in general t
nage slightly greater than 60
cent, and in a type of vessel of str
ly defensive character, she might
sire even to approximate that of
greater navies."
The "type of vessel of stricth
fensive character" of which J
wants to have as many as either A
ica or Great Britain, it was lei
afterwards, mean? light cruisers. J
it was said, has no desire .to cl
the ratio of submarines as pro
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