Evening star., 1915-07-19
HUGE PACIFIC WAR
FEAR OF SPEAKERS
Urge That East and West Get
Together and Seek Better
Understanding.
CONGRESS is PROPOSED
BY DR.. CHARLES w. ELIOT
Gathering at San Francisco Exposi-
ton Grounds Told the Situation
Is Grave.

SAN FRANCISCO. July l9.--What was
STYLED the first Pacific conference"
opened on the exposition grounds here
today. Under auspices Of the Asiatic
institute. The object Of the conference
is to determine the basis of con-
gress of the Pacific. which should seek
the mutual cooperation of the nations
of the Pacific area for common ends.
A number of men who have been
prominently identified with the prob
lens of the Pacific are to he heard.
either in person or through letters. in
Guiding DIR. Charles w. Eliot, presi-
dent emeritus of Harvard: David Starr
University: Mabel T. Boardman. chair
man of the American Red Cross: United
States Senator Henry Cabot Lodge of
Massachusetts, and Sidney l.. Quick,
missionary and author.
Would Meet at Honolulu.
According to a discussion of the situa-
tion by DR.. Eliot. which was read at
the conference. conditions should be
ripe for a pacific congress in the early
summer of 1916, because the results of
the European war on international re-
dent and the orient will by that time
have become manifest DIR. Eliot sug-
sested that Honolulu would be a good
place for the congress, and that the
principal countries about the Pacific
ocean should be represented, for the
consideration of matters of mutual in
terest.
The success of any such congress
n1tt1 sol
ceptance of certain principles of uni
versal application, he said. such as the
policy of the open door,, and a league
of Pacific powers to secure peace and
the freedom of the ocean.
Fears an East-West War.
According to DR.. Gulick. great war
between the east and west was threat
sning. Some steps must be taken. he
said, for inducing the nations to return
10 China what had been taken from her.
IF the west forces China into aggres-
i've militarism. and if China is compelled
to seek safety and justice at the point
Of the bayonet. the future of the world
is indeed ominous," he said.
He reviewed what he called the per
6dious course of the United States in
Japan" and asked: "lf we maintain
that the United States was justified
in its disregard of our treaty with China,
what right have we to condemn German ny
for its disregard of its treaty with Bel
gum? The degree of the consequences
indeed differ enormously. but are not
the moral issues identicalo"
Referring to the relations of this
country with Japan he said that in
definite continuation of Japanese pa
tience under treatment regarded as
humiliating is not to be assumed If
America desires to maintain the his
toric friendship with Japan and do her
justice we must first of all understand
the real point of her contention.
She is not demanding economic ad-
vantages or opportunity. but human
justice. respect of japanese as men, we
need campaign of education ana
rev policy which seems to require sew
eral things, and among them an immi-
grafton law that treats all races alike
and that should admit only so many
immigrants can Americanize. IN
order to preserve our institutions ana
prevent economic disturbance.
Sword Hangs Over Pacific.
One other speaker. Frederick McCor-
mick of the Asiatic Institute, went so
far as to warn the conference that the
sword hangs by hair over the Pa
cifc" and that the coming shift of the
worlds balance Of power lis certain to
uncover the gauntlet between the two
civilizations lying between Asia and
America" This. he said, was indicated
in canvess of eminent. private and
confidential opinion" which he had
made. He said:
You will be BILE to judge somewhat
of the Importance of. our Pacific affairs
when / tell YOU that nearly all public
meA are warned against discussion of
them on what are called public
grounds.
ut is to be expected that in the Pa
cific basin there will be duplicated on
a far greater scale all that has hap
pened in the Atlantic. The tragic omen
in Pacific affairs of the ineffective
struggle of Americans and Japanese
in their international relations to trust
each other. may be a warning of this.
Asiatic relations now are the
foremost theme of all students of po-
litical and military history-the one
great new problem of mankind"