New-York tribune. [volume], November 22, 1921, Image 1

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ADVERTISED IN THE
TRIBUNE IS GUARANTEED
Vol. LXXXI No. 27,400
(Cepyrtabt, mi,
New York Tribuno Inc.)
First to Last?the Truth: News?Editorials?Advertisements
THE WEATHER
Partly cloudy to-day; to-morrow cloudy
and colder; fresh west and north?
west winds
Kuli Report on Page Thlrtren
TUESDAY. NOVEMBER 22, 1921
*V* ?ji *j? 9\m
TWO CENTS
In Greater New York
three cp.srn
Within 200 Mile?
FOCB CENTS
Eluewher?
Will Keep Army but Halve It, Says Briand;
lgnt rowers Join in Covenant to Aid China
I. R. T. Board
Faces Probe
On Solvency
Director* Must Explain
'18,'19 Dividends When
There Were No Earn?
ings, Say Examiners
"V Deal Involved
900-Year Payment
Books Would Show $12,
000,000 Deficit if Made
Up Properly, Is Belief
directors of the Interborough Rapid
Transit Company, who in 1918-1919
voted dividends for a period during
which, it is alleged, the company had
no earnings, will be subjected to ex?
amination by the Transit Cotnmission
as to the motives for their action and
on other important phases of the in?
vestigation bearing on the solvency of
the Interborough.
The decision of the commission to
-?et to the roots of the traction muddle
by questioning officials in high rcspon
. ?bility casne late yesterday at the close
of a hearing which revealed several
new facts concerning the finances of
the transit company, including the
following:
900-Year Pact Bared
That during its existence of eighteen j
years the Interborough had paid under j
"operating expenses" $75,330,000 as i
profits and dividends to the Manhattan '
Elevated Railway Company, within j
S4,000,QO0 of the total actual cost of
?he original "L," and that under the
provisions of the contracts these 7 per !
cent payments would continue for 900
odd years.
That out of the entire net income of i
the Interborough for the same period,
amounting to $67.867,878, after surplus
adjustments, $65,625,000, or 187'/_ per
cent on the total capitalization of $35,
000,000, was distributed in dividends,
?aving a book surplus of $2,242,873,
?vithout making any provision for
Writing off uncollectab?e bills, bills re?
ceivable and accounts receivable.
That if the Interborough had listed
about 88,000,000 as liabilities instead
of assets and had provided for the
amortization of $5,000,000 demanded in
its forty-nine year contract it would
now have a deficit of $12,000,000 in?
stead of a surplus of $2,242,878.
Flaws in Bookkeeping
That, according to Mr. Shearn, the
company's bookkeeping methods were
faulty in that various accounts did not
show what the actual cost of operat?
ing the city's subways was and that
the system of accounting had failed
to show whether the actual operation
of the subway lines was profitable or
unprofitable.
That, according to the commission's
counsel, had the Interborough made a
fair and honest statement in its bal?
ance sheet the company would have
been revealed as a bankrupt.
That the Interborough supplied
power to the New York and Queens
County Railway Company, much' of
which was charged against the opera?
tion of the city's subways.
Principal of the traction officials
whom th" commission desires to place
on the witness stand to explain the
inference of Clarence J. Shearn, special
counsel of the commission, that divi?
dends were paid on assets that should
have bec-n listed as liabilities, are E. J.
Berwir.d, who succeeded the late Theo?
dore P. Shcnts as chairman of the ex?
ecutive committee; August Belmont,
chairman of the board, and General
Cornelius Vanderbilt. Mr. Berwind is
due home from Europe to-morrow and
General Vanderbilt is abroad. The
commission is expected to take up this
extended stage of the inquiry soon
after the arrival of Mr. Berwind.
Directors To Be Called
Other directors who will be sum?
moned to testify regarding the state
of facts on which the board declared
the dividends in question are Morgan
_.'? <p^r'en? since resigned; Horace M.
nsher, secretary of the board; Daniel
G. Reid, W. L. Pepperman, F. de C.
?ulltvan and Thomas De Witt Cuyler.
The announcement by the commission
was the climax of an all-day quiz of
t-dward F. J. Gaynor, veteran auditor
<>* the Interborough, who last Thurs?
day was admonished by the commission
(Continued on pags nine)
Women Thank Hughes
In Document Mile Long
199,531 Signatures, Represent?
ing 2,256,684, on Scroll
From Temperance Union
'rom The Tribune's Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, Nov. 21.?A docu?
ment more than a mile in length and
containing the signatures of 199,531
American women, including presidents
w national women's organizations rep
I'^ting a combined membership of
?.-56,684, was presented to Secretary
*i Mat? Hughes to-day by Miss Anna
*? Gordon, national president of the
"cmnn'g Christian Temperance Union.
The paper expresses the gratitude
W these women to the President for
'a'hng the Conference on the Limita?
tion of Armament, and their prayers
to? it3 purposes may be achieved.
* he document was wound about
?Pools and tied with white ribbons.
"8 exact length is 6,011 feet. It was
circulated, signed and forwarded to
?asnington within one month.
^?Tkla's New Ltd., "The EVERGI.a-DKS."
.<ow in ?affect. J,v. New York, : Penn.
t?r,;.! \12:18 A- if- T?lru ?laepera to prln
fai?i. .. "? ? ?th?r Florida trains via At
| ?*?"?<- -u-at Liinu. ia.6 ?'way, N.T.?Advt.
? ? ??" ?- ?.'? - ? " . ??
Moral Pledge Peace
Basis, Declares Hill
Material Disarmament Alone is Provocation to Re?
vival of War, He Asserts, Unless Backed
Up by Assurances of Great Nations
By David Jayne Hill
WASHINGTON, Nov. 21.?Those who listened on November 21 to the
eloquent address of the Premier of France in exposition of French policy
could not fail to be convinced of the determination of the French people
to make for their national security any sacrifices that circumstances may
demand. Heavy as the burden may be, they are disposed to bear it alone,
if necessary, in the interest of peace. For the Allied and associated
powers in the great war to reproach them for this determination would
be, as M. Briand affirmed, a cruel act of .censure.- It would, in truth, be
Court's Stock
Tax Ruling Nets
U.S^40,000,000
Rockefeller, Harkness and
Phellis Must Pay on Div?
idends Received in Form
of Corporation Shares
Will Affect Other Firms
Two Supreme Justices Cast
Dissenting Votes; Trans?
fer Held Reorganization
From The Tribune's Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, Nov. 21.?The Su?
preme Court of the United States to?
day in unmistakable terms laid down
the doctrine that payment of a divi?
dend in the stock of another corpora-i
tion is not a stock dividend within the
meaning of the famous stock dividend i
decision, and at the srame time held ?
that it is taxable as income.
The Supreme Court upheld the
! United States District Court for the
: Southern District of New York in two
i important tax cases involving these
questions, in one of which John D.
; Rockefeller was a party. It reversed
j the Court of Claims in another of a
I like nature.
It is said unofficially that the Treas
I ury will be from $30,000,000 to $40,
; 000,000 ahead from the proceeds of
j taxes in the three cases decided to
j day. Moreover, there are a number of
i cases pending decision in the Treas?
ury which have been held up to await
i a ruling by the Supreme Court in the
i controversies just decided which will
! now be settled in the government's
j favor and will bring in millions in
j revenue.
To-day's decision will enable the gov
j ernment to some extent to reach
j the large profits of some corporations
made in the war period and obtain in?
come from them in cases where dis?
tribution of surplus or of property has
been attempted through another cor?
poration. In the stock dividends de?
cision the court took the view that the
mere increase of capitalization by a
corporation and distribution of the
new shares to its own stockholders, the
new capitalization covering an accumu?
lated surplus, was not a distribution
of income.
Two New York Cases
The New York cases were those of
John D. Rockefeller, plaintiff in error,
vs. the United States, and the New York
Trust Company and Edith Hale Hark?
ness, executors of William L. Hark?
ness, plaintiffs in error vs. William II.
Edwards, collector of revenue for the
Second District of New York. Justice
Pitney delivered the opinion of the
court, which covered the two cases,
and also delivered the opinion in the
third case from the. Court of Claims,
which was that of the United States vs.
S. W. Phellis, a stockholder of the
E. I. du Pont de Nemours Powder Com?
pany of New Jersey.
The cases from New York arose from
the assessment of income tax based on
certain distributions of corporate stock
to Rockefeller and to Harkness.
The Prairie Oil and Gas Company
and the Ohio Oil Company in 1914, in
order to get around regulations of the
Interstate Commerce Commission and
the Federal Trade Commission deter?
mined that their pipe line properties
should be owned and operated by a
separate corporation. The Prairie Oil
and Gas Company organized the
(Continued on pan? ?six)
Theater Crowds Witness
Times Sq. Subway Suicide
Traffic Delayed 20 Minutes
While Police and Int-erbor
ough Help Take Out Body
An unidentified man leaped in front
of a southbound Intcrborough express
train in the subway at Times Square
station last night just as theater
crowds were thronging all platforms,
and was ground to death beneath the
first car. Two women who endeavored
to prevent the suicide narrowly es?
caped being thrown under the wheels.
Motorman C. J. Waterman brought
his train to a quick stop; but twenty
minutes passed before the body was
extricated. A cake of soap and a box
of matches were found in a coat pocket.
Several women fainted, but patrol?
men summoned from the street, aided
by guarda, quieted the crowd. There
was no panic.
-a
When you think of Wrltinr.
thluk of Wblt^*. ? Advt.
?more. It would be an inglorious
desertion.
That no one of the Allied and assoc?
iated powers will be guilty of such a
reproach is evident from the com?
ments that followed upon M. Briand's
masterly exposition on the part of the
delegations of Great Britain, Italy and
?Tapan, and the reassuring summary of j
the situation by the American Secre?
tary of State.
It was, however, not alone, for even
in the first degree the statistics and
the citations presented in the address
of the Premier of France to demon?
strate the grave character of the Euro?
pean situation and the grounds for
solicitude entertained in France for
the permanence of peace and the se?
curity of the republic which were the
most impressive to thoughtful minds.
Convincing as these statements were
that France cannot hastily and without
assurance lay down her arms, they were
surpassed in weight by the postulate
that underlay them.
Principle Not Debatable
Whether Germany is really disarmed
or not, whether her remaining quasi
military organizations are formidable
or not, whether she could reconstitute
an aggressive force or not, may be de- i
batable questions. What is not de?
batable or susceptible of contradiction
I is the priciple that underlies the whole
| of M. Briand's argument, namely:
?that material disarmament, unaccom?
panied by moral disarmament, is not a
stap toward peace but a provocation to
the renewal of war.
No one has ventui-ed to dispute the
truth and validity of this principle.
Every speaker who followed M. Briand
on the occasion of his discourse virtu?
ally conceded it. Mr. Balfour, in his
prompt and persuasive assurance of
British sympathy with France, not only
conceded it, he emphasized it. He did
more. He made it the basis of a strik?
ing contrast between the limitation of
armament on land and naval armament.
The distinction needed only to bo
mentioned to become clear in the mind
of every one. The situation of Europe,
composed of a great number of inde?
pendent and mutually jealous powers,
many of which are new, most of which
are distrustful of their neighbors or
dissatisfied with arrrangements some
of which have proved disappointing, is
full of complexities and unsettled dis?
putes. Until these conditions are over?
come, undesirable as it may be, dan?
gerous as it surely is, a considerable
reliance must still be placed upon
armed self-defense.
Naval Situation Different
The naval situation, Mr. Balfour
thinks, is quite different, and we must
all agree with him. There are only a
few strong naval powers. In fact, for
practical purposes there are only three.
For them a limitation of armament is
easy, mutually advantageous and in ef?
fect already agreed upon.
* What has rendered this agreement
possible, the British delegate a?irms, is
the fact that M. Eriand's principle is
here in perfect operation. Material
limitation is possible, Mr. Balfour
thinks, because moral disarmament has
already been acomplished. There aro
no causes of disagreement between the
chief naval powers. They neither fear
one another nor distrust one another.
They are celebrating a love feast.
Great Britain is happy and satisfied
with her existing naval strength. Ja?
pan is almost satisfied, but would like
a few ships in addition. The United
States has no ambition for naval su?
premacy. The moral situation, there?
fore, justifies the material reduction of
naval force on the part of these three
great maritime powers.
This is of 3iiost happy augury. It
would imply that, all being satisfied,
there is nothing left to be done but to
write the final act of the conference,
refrain from pressing disarmament
upon France, terminate the negotia?
tion and all go home to enjoy a Christ?
mas dinner, when every delegate might
assure his fellow countrymen that his
country has won a great diplomatic
(Continued on pasa five)
Shidehara's Illness May
Keep Him From Parley
Overwork Caused Nervous Col?
lapse, Now Complicated
by Malaria
WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 (By The As?
sociated Press).?The condition of
Baron Shidehara, tho Japanese Ambas?
sador, who has been ill for several
days, has not shown the improvement
which had been expected, it was
learned to-night, and although his con?
dition is not serious ho may be unable
to resume his work as a delegate to
the Washington conference.
His illness was caused by overwork
and a nervous collapse, which has been
complicated by malaria. As a result
of the illness the responsibility of tho
Japanese delegation has devolved upon
Admiral Baron Kato, who had counted
upon Baron Shidehara to attend to
diplomatic questions.
In +he circumstances Admiral Kato
?3 tu* ling for diplomatic assistance to
M. '..anihara, the Vice-Minister for
Foreign Affairs. Mr. Hanihara was for
eleven years secretary of embassy
here.
-? <
Four Basic
Principles
Enunciated
Resolution Pledges Open
Door, Territorial Integ?
rity, Full Opportunity,
No Special Privileges
Disputed Provinces
Are Not Mentioned
Kato Says Japan Is "Satis?
fied"; Idea Not Clear
to Chinese Delegates
By Thomas Steep
WASHINGTON, Nov. 21.?China is to
be reinstated in the family of self
governing nations through the co-oper?
ation of all the powers.
By the adoption of a resolution pre?
sented by Elihu Root, of tho American
delegation, the delegates from Great
Britain, France, Italy, Belgium, Japan,
Holland and Portugal, sitting as a com?
mittee of the whole to consider Pacific
and Far Eastern questions, pledged
their countries to-day to four basic
principles which aim not only to apply
the policies of the open door and terri?
torial integrity to China, but to provide
her with "the fullest and most unem?
barrassed opportunity to development
and maintain for herself an effective
and stable government."
The committee's action, which is re?
garded as establishing a triumph for
American policies in the Far East at
the very outset of the deliberations on
the many problems involving China,
was made known to-night after the
delegates had arrived at their decision
in executive session. Those attached
to the British delegation declared the
four principles to be the foundation
for impending developments which will
benefit China greatly. Baron Kato,
speaking for Japan, said the principles
were "most satisfactory." But the
Chinese delegates professed to be
somewhat mystified by the general
nature of the terms used.
Four Principles Established
The four principles to which the
powers pledged themselves in taking up
all future Chinese questions are:
To respect China's sovereignty,
independence and territorial in?
tegrity.
To provide "the fullest and most
unembarrassed opportunity" for her
to develop and maintain a stable gov?
ernment.
To use influence to establish ef?
fectually "equal opportunity for the
commerce and industry of all nations
throughout the territory of China."
To refrain from taking advantage
of China's present chaotic condition,
"in order to seek special rights or
privileges which would abridge the
rights of the subjects or citizens of
friendly states" and from counte?
nancing action "inimical to the se?
curity of such states."
Considei-ation of China's ten claims,
which embrace a demand for the ex?
pulsion of foreign control and for abso?
lute autonomy in the management of
her postoffices, railroads and customs,
is to be resumed by the committee to?
morrow with a view of taking up the
Chinese questions one by one on the
basis of the four principles.
Action Declared Unanimous
When Mr. Root's resolution had been
amended after a brief discussion all
the delegates present announced to Sec?
retary Hughes, who presided, that they
concurred, the only absentees being
Baron Shidehara, the Japanese Ambas?
sador, who is ill, and Signor Filippo
Medda, of the Italian delegation. The
action was declared to be unanimous.
As soon as a statement of the basic
principles was issued these questions
were raised: "Does 'the territory of
China,' as mentioned in the principles,
mean China exclusive of territory
now occupied by foreign powers, such
as Shantung, Manchuria and Mon?
golia?" and "are only questions to
come before the conference which re?
late to the future, thus leaving the
statu quo undebatable?"
Some of the Chinese delegates were
(Continued on page three)
Allies Pledge
Aid to France
In Any Crisis
Britain's Spokesman Al?
ludes to Readiness to
Give Another Million
Lives to Kill Kaiserism
Attention Called to
Italian Army's Cut
Hughes Reminds Confer?
ees America Never Could
Ignore Tri - Color Plea
By Boyden Sparkes
WASHINGTON, Nov. 21.?Aristide
Briand pleaded to-day that France,
confronted by a vengeful Germany and
a Russia boiling with anarchy, could
not disarm. But Arthur Balfour re?
minded him that nearly 1,000,000
British dead constituted a pledge of
future support that France should not
ignore.
The note of reproof in Mr. Balfour's
statement was also to be detected in]
the comment of Italy's spokesman, i
Senator Schanzer, who without men-1
tioning the 750,000 men France has
under arms made a comparison, never-1
theless, by stating that Italy's army !
now numbers 200,000 and is soon to be
decreased still further.
America, too, reassured France that
she would not have to withstand future
invasions unaided when Secretary of
State Hughes declared that no words
ever spoken by France have fallen
upon deaf ears in the United States.
It was France's hour before the Arms
Limitation Conference, and her advo?
cate was a skillful pleader. This, the
third plenary session of the conference,
had been arranged to give M. Briand an
opportunity to speak, and he made the
most of his chance, telling of his coun?
try's bitter experiences in ringing
phrases that seem to have been tem?
pered in blood.
The setting was the same that Mr.
Hughes employed ten days ago when he
startled the world by announcing
America'?, readiness to reduce her naval
forces providing Great Britain and
Japan would consent to make similar
redv^jtions on the basis of the existing
streiiglh.
Galleries Disappointed
Perhaps the Senators and Represent?
atives i3i the galleries who applauded
wildly on that day when so much his?
tory was made anticipated an announce?
ment with respect to land forces
equally startling would follow when the
subject was introduced to-day by the
American Secretary of State. If so,
they were disappointed. With refer?
ence to naval forces and the trouble?
some Far Eastern question, he said:
"I think I am justified in saying that
our expectations with respect to the ex?
pedition and thoroughness of our con?
sideration of these matters already
have been more than realized."
Then he spoke of land armament,
told how the United States had reduced
its force of 4,200,000 that was under
arms when the armistice was signed to
160,000 men, and invited M. Briand to
begin the discussion.
The French Premier paused three
times to give the interpreter, M. Camer
lynck, an opportunity to translate his
remarks into English. At first M.
Briand spoke in a low tone, which
could be heard easily. As he advanced
through his message he became more
and more passionate, at times pound?
ing his fist on the table, at other times
tensing his fingers until they resembled
talons, and all the time struggling to
impart additional emphasis to his
words with eyes and gestures and in?
flection of voice.
"I shall tell you for France," he said,
"that she wants to make peace. If you
want to make peace there must be two
people, you yourself and the neighbor
opposite."
To Ear of All the World
That neighbor of whom he spoke
was well understood by the Premier's
audience to be Germany. In fact, al?
though Germany is not represented at
(Continued or, pane four)
Hungry Mob of Men and Women
Storms Food Shops in Berlin
By Wireless to The Tribune
Copyright, 11)21, New York Tribune Inc.
BERLIN, Nov. 21.?A hunger riot
broke out in the Berlin public market
to-day, a large crowd of men and
women raiding provision shops, smash?
ing the windows and demanding relief
from the increasing costs of living.
The demonstration, while short lived,
caused the merchants in the leading
streets to board up their shop windows
in fear that the rioting would become
general. To-day's disorder, coming
after a riot in Neukoelln, a suburb,
last week, has caused the fear that
more will follow, and while the situa?
tion has not yet hecome serious it con?
tains alarming elements.
The Communists again are becoming
active, and their leaders and their
press are calling on the workers for
direct action against employers and
the government. The danger of an?
other Communist outbreak is recog?
nized by the government, which is pre?
paring for eventualities, particularly
in Central Germany, the scene of the
Communist oflYfiJve of last March.
Strong measures have been taken
at Halle and the surrounding country
where the Communists have issued a
cali for a general strike. The Com?
munist press is seeking to provoke a
country-wide walk-out in an effort to
compel, the government to release the
Communist hunger strikers in the
Lichtenburg jail, who are serving sen?
tences for participating in the Com?
munist outbreak.
The Majority Socialists and the trade
unions are issuing manifestoes, urging
the workers to remain calm in the face
of the rapidly developing economic
-crisis, and it is hoped order will be
maintained.
"Voerwaerts," however, warns this is
possible only through the speedy adop?
tion of a radical taxation program,
placing the brunt of the taxation bur?
den on the property classes and forc?
ing wage increases through government
intervention.
Stormy scenes marked the session of
the Prussian Reichstag during the de?
bates provoked by the Communists on
the release of the hunger strikers. One
Communist poured a glass of water on
a Centrist's head, while another sought
to assault President Weinert.
-i-?-?
Root Program to Save China
Defined in Four Proposals
From The Tribune's Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, Nov. 21.?The Root program for the protection
of China, xohich was adopted to-day by th? Conference on the Limita?
tion of Armament, reads:
It is the firm intention of the powers attending this conference
hereinafter mentioned, to wit., the United States of America, Bel?
gium, the British Empire, France, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands
and Portugal.
(1) To respect the sovereignty, the independence and the terri?
torial and administrative integrity of China.
(2) To provide the fullest and most unembarrassed opportu?
nity to China to develop and maintain for herself an effective and
stable government.
(3) To use their influence for the puli?se of effectually estab?
lishing and maintaining the principle of equal opportunity for the
commerce and industry of all nations throughout the territory
of China.
(4) To refrain from taking advantage of the present condi?
tions in order to seek special rights or privileges which would
abridge the rights of the subjects or citizens of friendly states and
from countenancing action inimical to the security of such states.
^^^_._ i
Text of Briand's Plea
Before Arms Council
German War Menace Still Stalks at Our Door, French
Premier Declares, Asserting She Can Mobilize
Between 6 and 7 Million To-morrow
WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 (By The Associated Press).-?Premier
Briand's speech to-day at the Conference on the Limitation of Armament,
embodying France's attitude toward reduction of armies, follows in full:
"Gentlemen: You will readily admita
that I, as a delegate of France, should
feel moved when rising to speak from
this . full-sounding platform, whence
every word that is said goes to the at?
tentive and anxious ear of the world
and of all civilized peoples.
"I wish, first of all, to thank my
colleagues of the conference who, on
the opening of this public meeting, so
kindly allowed me to speak as the rep?
resentative of my country.
"I shall endeavor to make it appear
to your eye3 and to the eyes of the
world with its true, genuine face, as it
is; that will show you that she is
ready, and I might say perhaps, more
ready than any other country, to di?
rect her attention and her earnest will
to whatever steps may be thought de?
sirable in order to insure peace for the
world. Nothing for my colleagues and
myself would be more pleasant than
to be about to tell you this: We bring
here sacrifices to the fullest extent
possible. We have our own security
insured. We lay down arms. We
should be so happy to be able to make
that gesture in order to participate in
the final disarmament of the world.
Moral Disarmament Needed
"Unfortunately, we cannot speak in
this way. I say also, unfortunately, we
have not the right to do so. I shall
briefly explain later on for what rea?
sons. I shall tell you, for France, that
she wants to make peace. If you want
to make peace, there must be two peo?
ple, yourself and the neighbor op?
posite. To make peace?I am speaking,
of course, of land armament?it is not
sufficient to reduce effectives and de?
crease war material.
"That is the physical side, a physical
aspect of things. There is another con?
sideration which we have no right to
neglect in such a problem, that touches
vital questions which are of the most
serious character for the country con?
cerned. It is necessary that besides
this physical disarmament there should
be in these same circles what I shall
call a general atmosphere of peace.
In other words, a moral disarmament
is as necessary as the material one. I
have the right to say this, and I hope
to be able to prove it to you. And I
have the right to say to you that in
Europe, as it is at present, there are
serious elements of instability, there
are such cond tions prevailing that
France is obliged to face them and
to contemplate the necessary matters
from the point of view of her own se?
curity.
France Faces Difficult Tasks
"I am now staying in a country many
of the men of which have already en?
joyed the opportunity of seeing France
and knowing exactly what she is. They
came to us in the most critical time of
the war. They came and shed their
blood?mingled their blood?with ours,
and they shared our life, and they have
seen France, and they now know what
France is. And certainly these men
have contributed to enlighten their own
countrymen, and they have done every?
thing to dispel and drive away those
noxious gases which have been spread
about and under which certain people
have been trying to mask and to con?
ceal the true face of France. ,
"Here in this country you are living
; among states which do not know the
entangled barriers and frontiers of
Europe. Here you live in an immense
expanse of space. You do not know
any factions on your own land. You
have nothing to fear. So that it is
rather difficult for some of you?it
must be difficult for some of you?to
realize what the conditions at present
prevailing in Europe are after war and
victory.
"I quite admit that every citizen of
the United States should come and tell
me this: 'The war is won. Peace is
signed. Germany has reduced her army
to a great extent. Most of her war
materiel has been destroyed. What is
it that prevents peace from now reign?
ing in Europe? Why is it that France
keeps such a considerable army, abun?
dantly supplied with war materiel?'
Peace Prayer of Frenchmen
"Of course, in saying this only cer
W&" people have got something at the
-,
back of their minds. They suggest that !
France also has some hidden thought, ]
some hidden design. It has been said
that France wanted to install in Eu?
rope a sort of military supremacy, and
that, after all, she wanted to be so \
simply to take the place Germany occu?
pied before the war. Gentlemen, per- j
haps this is the most painful, heart?
rending and cruel thing that a French- |
man can hear. And for them to say,
after the direful war from which we
have just emerged?unprovoked war
which we had to undergo?to be again
in the cruel necessity to give to the
world only the appearance that we have
perfidious intentions and military de?
sign?this, gentlemen, constitutes, I
may say, the most disheartening thing
for us. If we had not the full confi?
dence of those that know my country,
those who have seen it?they can tes?
tify that not one word, of it is true.
If there is a country that has delib?
erately turned her steps toward peace,
that wants peace with all her heart, be?
lieves with her entire faith?if there
is a country that does this, gentlemen,
it is France.
No Hatred in Onr Hearts
"Since the armistice we have many
disappointments. France has had to
wait for certain realizations which
she has not been able to get. She has
seen Germany digress?haggle over
the signature which has been given.
Germany has Refused to stand by her
pledged word. She has refused to
pay compensation due for the devas?
tated regions. She has declined to
make the gesture of chastisement thai
after all every man of sense would
expect after the horrors that we have
witnessed. Germany has refused tc
disarm. At that time France was
strong and Germany could not resist
Public opinion in France was natu
rally impatient, while under this prov
ocation France remained perfectlj
cool. There was not one gesture 01
her part to aggravate the situation,
may say here emphatically in the fac<
of the world we have no ?atred in ou:
hearts, and France will do everythin;
she can. She will use every means t<
prevent between Germany and lier
self a recurrence of these bloody con
flicts. She wishes for nothing els
but that the two peoples should h
able to live side by side in the norma
conditions of peace. But, after all, w
have no right to forget. We have n
right to abandon ourselves. We hav
no right to weaken our position. An>
were it only because we must avoi<
giving rise in the bosom that woul
only be ready to take advantage of il
to give rise to certain hopes that woul
be encouraged by ?ur weakness.
"Gentlemen, I spoke a few moment
ago of the moral aspect of disarma
ment, and I referred in my remarks t
Germany. I do not want to be unjust
nothing is further from my mine
But we know there is in Germany
there is one part of Germany that i
for peace. There are many peopl
especially among the working classe
who want to work, who have ha
enough of this war. who have ha
?enough of war altogether and are mo:
| anxious to settle down in peace, ar
! also to set to work. We shall c
; everything to help that Germany, ar
' if she wants to restore her balance :
the bosom of a pacific republic ar
; democratic institutions, then we cs
help her, and we shall all be able
I contemplate the future with feelinj
of security.
Same Designs Are Nurtured
"But, gentlemen, there is anoth
Germany, a Germany which has n
j changed her mind and to which tl
j last war has taught no lesson. Th
S Germany keeps thoughts in the ba
? of her mind; she has the same d
I signs which she entertained befo
i the war; she has kept the same prec
? cupations and she cherishes the sai
| ambitions as the Hohenzollems d
! And how can we close our eyes
i this? How can we ignore this state
?things? This, gentlemen, is happ?
! ing at our very doors; we have or
got to look. This is happening but
; few miles from us and we follow t
i thoughts of the Germans, or certi
i Germans, and the evolution which
taking place. And, more than that,
have witnessed certain attempts to
i turn to the state of things. Nobc
(Con??,"-, en next ?as?)
Berlin Held
Still Menace
To Security;
Germany Must "Disarm
Morally" Before Peril
to Neighbor Disappears,
Premier Tells Council
Britain to Cling
To Japanese Pact
China Removed as Sou-fe?
of Dispute; Disarming
on Land Improbable
By Carter Field
WASHINGTON, Nov. 21.?Re?
sponsibility for Europe remaining
an armed camp, for the futility of
rttempting land disarmament at
this time, was placed squarely on
Germany by Aristide Briand, Pre?
mier of Prance, at to-day's session
of the armament conference- He
pointed to Prance's steps toward
cutting her army in half, but saw
no possibility of farther reductions
until Germany disarmed morally.
Arthur J. Balfour, for the Brit?
ish delegation, and Charles E.
Hughes, for the United States, in
answering the French Premier as?
sured him that the Allies, aware of
France's position, could not be deaf
to an appeal to help her in another
crisis.
Confidence that Briand'a frank
appeal to world opinion would have
results in Germany by rousing the
liberal element?to which the
Prench leader made an especial
plea?was voiced here to-night by
scores of veteran diplomats who
listened to his oration.
China Removed as Menace
Another tremendously important 1
development of the day was the
virtual removal of China from tho
category of possible causes of war
between the United States and
Japan. By unanimous vote, the
other eight powers agreed to a set
of resolutions drafted by Elihu
Root, which make a long start to?
ward solving the most difficult and
intricate of all the "Pacific and Far
Eastern questions."
As has been pointed out several
times in The Tribune's Washington
dispatches, virtually all of the other
Pacific and Far Eastern questions
have been fairly well agreed upon.
There remained only China as a dis?
turbing element, and now it appears
that when the conference shall ad?
journ every problem it had to face
will have been satisfactorily settled,
saving only land armament limita?
tion, on which there was never at
any time any hope.
The nations bound themselves in
this Root resolution virtually to giva
China a chance to develop an effec?
tive and stable government, and to
permit all nations an equal oppor?
tunity for commerce and industry
throughout the country, with all
that this implies.
Queer Results Forecast
On naval armament limitation
the British experts pointed out to
the Americans to-day that the
Hughes replacement program will
lead to some astonishing results.
In certain years, they pointed out,
? the British navy will be immeasur
! ably superior to the American and
to the Japanese, owing to the fact
that it will consist of so much larger
j a proportion of new ships. The
pendulum will swing back again a
few years later, giving the American
navy a huge advantage, while at an?
other point the Japanese navy will
have a strength out of all propor?
tion to the ratio of 5?5?3.
This is one of the kind of technical
details which will cause long discus?
sion among the experts. Otherwise,
it was agreed to-night, the confer?
ence might adjourn by Thanksgiving
instead of Christmas.
Incidentally, the British made it
| clear to-day that there is not the
1 slightest thought of abrogating the
| Anglo-Japanese alliance. They are
perfectly willing to supplement it by
; having a tripartite agreement be?
tween Great Britain. Japan and the
United States, but even that would
not mean "abrogation" of the treaty
1 ?in fact, that word is spoken by thq