Evening star., 1919-10-16
Senator Phelan Backs League.

Asserting that it is the duty of the
Senate to consider the interests of
the United States before the interests
of China or any other land. Senator
Phelan of California told the Senate
that he would support the league of
nations and> oppose the Shantung
amendment While he expressed the
belief that the encroachments of Ja-
pan in the Americas and in the island
possessions of the United States
should be halted. he said that he be-
lieved this end could be accomplished
by the ratification of the peace treaty
and the league of nations covenant.
The league, he said, will be able to
deal with Japanese ambitions.
II am not ignorant" said Senator
Phelan, ''of the dangers that lurk in
Japanese dominancy In the Pacific /
would, by any legitimate means.
check her advance or turn her ar
mics. Turn them where? Why, back
upon Asia, where they belong. Ny
answer is that the remedy must be
found either in the covenant of the
league of nations or in the increase
of our naval armament. / am in
favor of trying the league first"
Points to Japan as Ally.
Senator Phelan pointed out that the
services of Japan as an ally In the
war with Germany had been real.
He continued:
Unless we are prepared to deny
Great Britain, France and Italy, the
spoils of war we cannot with entire
consistency in the circumstances ex-
clude Japan. 1t offends, l will, how
ever admit, ones sense OF justice to
see a country peopled by the c -inese
taken over by either the Germans or
the Japenese, the English or the
French who do not claim to have any
considerable number OF their nation
ais in the territory, but who take IL
for purposes OF expansion OF trdue
exploitation
.All America has a genuine sympathy
for unfortunate China, but how far
should America go in this case, and how
far to save China from further absorp-
ton by Japan. In this case Japan had
not wantonly attached China, but had
attacked Germany and taken away Ger
man rights which were conceded by
treaty to Germany, and later to Japan
by the Chinese. Hereafter, under the
constitution of the league of nations.
Japan cannot commit an act of aggres-
sion against China without mourning
the prescribed penalties, because China
is a member of the league. In other
words the league is China's future pro-
lection. and, if an attempt is now made
to disturb Japan's title to rights in
Shantung, without her consent. IL is
probable that Japan would withdraw
from the league, and she is quite equal
to making alliances with other coun-
tries, such as Russia and Germany, as
soon as they are rehabilitated.
Sees Power in League.
"The question. therefore, is one not
for the expression of our sympathy
or resentment or for the reconquest
of Shantung against Japan, but to
see how far the success of the league
and the peace of the world are served
by our non-interference at this time.
Japan has promised to restore Shan
tung to China, but asks to be allowed
to do il in her own way; but the
league can hold her to II.
Japan, German trained, is, in all
respects, like the defunct German em-
pire, seeking power and territory, and.
il not arrested by the league of ma
tions, will ultimately be the cause OF
another and more serious war.
And the United States is deeply
in checking the unholy am
bition of Japan. just as she did check
the ambition of Germany, and It is
by force of the league of nations that
this may be done. possibly without in
a clash of arms. but simply by
the moral weight of the associated
nations and their power to exert eco
nomic pressure. Germany was al
lowed to progress too far. Japan is
yet in the infancy of her budding
dream of empire, so the task is not
difficult TO check her without humili-
ating her nor offending what has be-
come peculiarly Japanesque-nationa
Senator Townsend, republican, Michf-
gan, in announcing that he would ya10