U.S. SENATE REQUESTS ARMS REDUCTION CONFERENCE

A very explicit amendment was adopted without debate and without a vote.

WASHINGTON, January 21.
The Senate today adopted, on the motion of Mr. King, the following amendment to the Naval Bill, requesting President Coolidge to call a new Arms Conference:
The President is authorized and directed to invite the governments with which the United States maintains diplomatic relations to send representatives to a conference to be held at Washington.
It shall be the duty of such conference to formulate and conclude a general international agreement, under which armaments for war, whether on land or at sea, shall be effectually reduced and limited. and this in the interest of peace among nations, and to relieve all nations of the burden of excessive and unnecessary expenses incurred in arming themselves and preparing for war.
This amendment was adopted without discussion and without a vote. It had been accepted without objection by the chairman of the Senate Committee on the Navy, which is dealing with the naval bill.
Just recently, President Coolidge indicated that he did not think the time was ripe for such a conference, and it was expected that the senators who supported the administration would oppose the amendment for the same reason. They did not do so, and no explanation has been given. Nor has there been any explanation of the matter either in the White House or in the State Department.