NEWS BY CABLE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3526, 11 October 1921, Page 15

NEWS BY CABLE.

DISARMAMENT. WASHINGTON CONIERENCE. QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION. TOIvIO, October 3. The newspaper Asahi Shimbun declares that Japan’s problem in finding an outlet for her increasing population will be frankly discussed at the Washington Conference. Japan is preparing a list of 70 questions for consideration. It is understood that in order to increase facilities for communication with America during J the conference Japan is preparing to re connect the Guam-Yap cable. 'AMERICA’S NAVAL CONSTRUCTION. WASHINGTON, October 4. Resolutions will be introduced to the Senate shortly urging Pres ; dent Harding to stop all work on warships during the conference. Senators Borah and Pomerene will press the view that a suspension of naval construction during the period of the conference will be simply an act of good faith Meanwhile the House Appropriations Committee has virtually decided not to discuss next year's army and navy appro- j priations until after the conference — ! first, because of a desire to avoid the possibility of embarrassment to the Administration by a congressional debate on armament expenditure during the parleys; and, secondly, because future expenditure will be subject to change according to the success or failure of the conference. Mr Hughes is despatching a Note to Belgium, Holland, and Portugal inviting them to participate in the Pacific and Far j Eastern discussions at the Washington i Conference. JAPAN AND AMERICA. TOKIO, October 4. General Leonard Wood, speaking at a j luncheon which was given in his nonour j by General Yamanashi, Minister of War, i declared that the cordiality of Japanese ; and American relations must grow, for ! upon them depended in a large measure the peace of the Orient. America was a close neighbour of Japan in the Philip- j pines, and hoped to build up extensive j Hade relations between the island and j Japan under free and friendly competition. “ FACING THE FAR EAST.” WASHINGTON. October 3. The navy is establishing half its total air force on the Pacific coast, where there are already seven air squadrons, comprising 150 officers and 630 men. Fifty per cent, of the warships, including' the strongest and most modern vessels, are also on the Pacific coast. This preponderance of America’s fighting craft is facing the Far East. j STRONG ADVOCATE OF PEACE. NEW YORK, October 5. The Philadelphia Public Ledger’s Tokio correspondent interviewed Prince Tokugawa, the head of Japan’s Delegation to the Washington Conference, who made the following declaration : “It is my hope, which I will strive with all sincerity to make a reality, that from the conference will come all the benefit for mankind which Mr Harding hoped for when he called the nations together. Every effort must be made to surround the delegates with an atmosphere j of mutual trust and willingness to under- j stand the other man's viewpoint. We j must be slow to believe the ill of others | that will be told by professional agitators, ! who will be busy in Washington. There I are mischief-makers in other countries who do not wish to see Japan and the United States good friends. Such friendships are against their interests. They even hint at a Japanese-American war. We must do all that we possibly can to make an absurdity of these hints. It is apparent that we in Japan suffer from rash, hotheaded, mischief-making journalists and authors, one of the worst of whom published a book entitled ‘ A Dream of War Between the United States and Japan.’ Even to dream of such an eventuality is fantastic. Much of the world’s troubles is due to the failure of the nations to understand one another. One of the ways in which Japan is misunderstood is that she is continually charged with militarism. I hope to show that this accusation is not deserved. I am essentially a civilian. 1 have never had any military training or any military connections. lam peaceloving. Thus at least one Japanese delegate will enter the conference in a state of mind for making a Japanese American war iinpo: siMe.” THE BRITISH DOMINIONS. DIRECT REPRESESTATION. WASHINGTON, October 7. The State Department says that the Government is gratified that the British dominions will be represented at the Washington Conference. It states that the American Government has tried throughout the negotiations to make it possible for the British dominions to be represented. The United States could not directly suggest to the British Government that the dominions should be represented, because the questian was no official concern of this country, but the American Government did suggest that Great Britain’s delegation should number from five to seven, with a view to allowing sufficient room for dominion representation. Tba State Department denies that slammed the door against Australian or any other Pacific- dominion representation, as Mr Hughes is alleged to Lave said in the Commonwealth Parliament.

SENSATION-MONGERS CONDEMNED. LONDON, October /. The Daily Chronicle, under the heading ‘‘Press Alarums and Excursions,” says: “ Nothing but mischief can come of the attempts to draw sensational conclusions from the divergent interests which perplex American and Japanese statesmen, and which both are honestly endeavouring to harmonise. At such a time a solemn responsibility rests on the press and public men to sav nothing that is calculated to inflame feeling or stir up fears and suspicions. Those who attempt to frighten the public by prophecies of new world wars are playing upon the credulity of the nervous. Let us rather aid in making the Washington Conference a success. The worst course is to start tub-thumping with the destinies of nations.” JAPANESE MISSION TO AMERICA. WASHINGTON, October 6. A delegation consisting of leading Japanese business men will sail from Yokohama on October 21 to confer with American leaders on financial, economic, and industrial matters in order to provide for co-operative -understandings in the future. TOKIO, October 6. The newspaper Zo-rodzu Choho quotes the Prime Minister (Mr Hara) as saying that the Japanese delegates to the Washington Conference desire to obtain a perfect agreement among the Powers based on fundamental principles—respect for a world open-door policy, the removal of racial barriers, and assurances for the existence of mankind. AUSTRALIA’S REPRESENTATIVE. MELBOURNE, October 6. Cabinet has decided that Senator Pearce shall represent Australia at the Washington Conference. CHINA’S DELEGATION. SHANGHAI, October 6. China’s delegation to the Washington Conference has sailed. The party numbered 100. LABOUR’S HELPFUL ATTITUDE. WASHINGTON, October 9. Mr Samuel Gompers (president of the Federation of Labour) has announced the formation of n advisory committee consisting of 100 prominent American men and women. He stated that the object of the committee is it to aid in crystallis ing public opinion in the great issues before the conference and to concentrate and focus this opinion on the conference in a spirit that will not obstruct Labour, but will help towards a successful conclusion. He is urging that the sessions should continue until some of the menacing nar clouds are removed and radical reductions in armaments are accomplished. AN OBSTACLE TO DISARMAMENT. PARIS, October 8. La Depeche De Toulouse, commenting on the Washington Conference, says that real disarmament is impossible unless Great Britain and- America fulfil their unratified promise to assist France in ,he event of unprovoked German aggression. NEW ZEALAND’S REPRESENTATION. PRIME MINISTER MAY MAKE A STATEMENT. WELLINGTON, October 9. The New Zealand Times to-day an nounced that the general opinion in political circles is that New Zealand will be directly represented at the Washington Conference, and that if this course is de eided upon there is very little doubt that tlie choice will fall upon Sir Francis Bed, t!ie Leader of the Legislative Council. The same paper hints that possibly the choice of a leader of the Council to take Sir Francis Bell’s position may provide some surprise. Inquiries show, however, that there is no foundation for such statement. Sir Francis Bell will not go to Washington, and, therefore, it will not be necessary lo appoint a leader in his place. There is a strenuous time ahead of Parliament during the present session, and it is quite out of the question that Sir Francis can be spared from the position he is at present occupying. It is possible that the Prime Minister will make a statement as to New Zealand's representation early next week.