PEACE CHRISTMAS.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 December 1921, Page 5

PEACE CHRISTMAS.

WASHINGTON HOPES. FOUR-POWER TREATY. ADJUSTING DETAILS. By Telegraph.—Press As»n. —Copyright. Received Dec. 25, 5.5 p.m. Washington, Dec. 23. President Harding, in a message of Christmas greeting, says: “There is a new conviction in the hearts of men that appeal to arms is a futile thing. Men are becoming wise enough to sit down and talk before going to war and try to settle matters. That is the object of the Four-Power Treaty.” The President goes on to say that the revision of the Versailles Treaty was a problem for European nations to settle among themselves, and he does not think the League of Nations will be affected by the Four Power Treaty or anything arising out of the Conference, except that both are working towards the peace of the world. These foregoing authoritative views are taken to mean that President Harding intends vigorously to fight for the ratification of all treaties flowing from the Conference when they come before the Senate.

President Harding, in response to numerous questions, will offer no comment regarding the disputes attempting to magnify the different constructions of the Four Power Treaty. To him these are unimportant. The big things aimed at are understandings for peace and agreement to meet and discuss the preservation of peace whenever it is threatened, but no alliance entanglements. The President said the charge that the United States’ delegates were withholding information was unjustified. He had full confidence in them, otherwise he would not have chosen them. He had full confidence in them now, and was more than gratified at their efforts, because they were working out the greatest contribution to peace and goodwill which ever marked a Christmas time in all the Christian era. It was one thing to talk < about ideals of peace, but a bigger thing 'to seek the actuality which this conference was doing in harmony. World sentiment was in full accord with the cherished American traditions.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. SOME NEW FEATURES. ANGLO-JAPANESE AGREEMENT. Received Dec. 26, 5.5 p.m. Washington, Dec. 25. The New York World circumstantially asserts that the President further complicated the Four Power Pact yesterday by telling Conservative Senators that he was willing to go to any lengths in reservations in order to secure ends satisfactory to the opposition. He placed the blame for the contretemps on the British, declaring they were the trouble makers, because they insisted on the protection of the Japanese mainland in order to leave the Japanese fleet free to aid Britain in the event of an uprising in India. This seems an extravagant viewpoint and if true is calculated further to solidify the opposition.

Another interesting story appears in the New York World, alleging that American official quarters had a previous conference and arranged with M. Briand (Premier of France) that Germany should be asked to comply with the treaties made at Washington in respect to the rights of the French people. So convinced were the United States authorities that they privately predicted it would cause as great a sensation in the Conference as did Mr. C. E. Hughes’ promulgation of the reduction of navies scheme. But M. Briand changed his mind almost at the last minute, after leading the Americans to believe he would go all the way with them in thensuggestions for land disarmament, and completely reversed his opinion. Such comment as appears in the morning papers dwells on this altered attitude of France, as pointed out by Mr. Balfour yesterday, especially the French insistence on a navy far in excess of her needs. JAPAN’S INTERPRETATION. , POSITION MADE CLEAR. Received Dec. 26. 5.5 pm. New York, Dec. 25. The United Press learns on high authority that Japan does not consider it necessary that the quadruple agreement should be construed as placing any obligation on any nation to preserve the territorial integrity of Japan proper. It is made clear that this is Japan’s interpretation in answer to opposition to the treaty in the United States on the ground that it would bind signatories to protect Japan proper 5n respect to integrity of her insular possessions.