The New York herald., 1920-12-30
BRITISH POLICY ON |
SEA AND JAPAN IS /
HELDUP TILL May
Settlement Awaits Imperial
Conference of Prime
Ministers of the
DOminiOnS.
WANT HARDING VIEWS.
Farley Outside League Of
Nations Deemed Neces-
sary for Naval and
Pacific Problems.
ROUND TABLE TALK URGED
London Officials Not Disturbed
by Threatened Supremacy
Of American Navy
in 1924.
ROUND TABLE TALK URGED

Special Cable to THE NEW YORK HERALD
Copyright, 1920, by THE New YORK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau.
London. Dec. 30.
The Anglo-Japanese alliance and the
British naval policy are two important
subjects which will have to await the
conference of the Prime Ministers of
the Imperial Dominions, which will
meet here in May, THE New YORK
HERALD correspondent was informed by
an authoritative source to-day. Incl
dentally this postponement fits in
nicely with the Inauguration of the
new Administration in Washington and
the development of it's foreign policy,
in which Great Britain is admittedly
vitality interested.
Both these questions depend essen
and the British policy meanwhile will
be directed toward maintaining the
status quo.
Events, however, are more and more
national conference outside the League
of Nations to settle these two ques-
tions supreme in world Importance
the future of the Pacific and naval
limitations, If not disarmament. Brit
ish officials admit this much. although
they do not relax their loyalty to the
League of Nations 1t is admitted here
that the Japanese question could best
be settled by a round table conference
between those CONCERNED, and It is also
admitted that the crux of the whole
disarmament question, so vital to the
world. now overburdened with debt
from the last war, lies in an Anglo
American apanese agreement.
Action Cited as Precedent.
The action taken recently with regard
to the Anglo-Japanese agreement was
cited az a precedent for the accommoda-
tion OF special interests with the League
of Nations. 1t was pointed out that
England and Japan. instead of renewing
the treaty which expired this year. de-
cided to submit II to the council of the
League of Nations. asking whether any
thing therein disagreed with the terms
Of the covenant.
1t was suggested that even II Mr..
Harding's proposed International con-
ference for peace meets without the
ngis of the League of Nations the result
OF that conference. before becoming ef-
fective. might be submitted to the League
OF Nations by Great Britain or other
league members who attend il, even
though tho United States. not being
member of the league, would not have
10 submit IL
Some perturbation was evidenced in
official circles here tonight as result
II news cables saying that an American
japanese agreement was about TO be
concluded in Washington which would
provide for the admission of Japanese
subjects into the Philippines and the APP
plcation of the ban against aliens hold
ing property in California to all aliens.
including the British.
The reported lowering Of the anti
Japanese bars in the Philippines was
said TO be agitating Australia and New
Zealand, while important business men
here who are interested In California
fruit and oil are disturbed over the
property ban there. In Downing street.
however, the opinion was expressed that
there would be no conflict of Anglo
American interests, no matter how the
American-Japanese settlement finally
turns out.
Confident of Cautious steps.
While officials here prefer a postpone
mcnt Of a final settlement of the Ameri-
can-Japanesc qu, stions until II is possi-
bic 10 hold round table conference in
connection with the Pacific situation
after the conference of the Imperial
Dominions' Prime Ministers here next
May, they express confidence that no
final commitments will be made by
Washington that might stir UP trouble
later on.
It was officially denied that either
Canada or Australia had exerted pres
sure here against the Anglo-Japanese
agreement or that England had made
representations to Japan urging JAM
anese-American settlement. II was,
nevertheless, admitted that the Cana
dian and tho Australian viewpoints OF
the Japanese question were essentially
like that Of the United States. The
point was made, however. that the
Domnions were not against the Anglo
Japanese agreement, because under the
terms of II Japan keeps her unwritten.
gentleman's agreement to prevent emil
grafton TO either Dominion, and until
better method is found In the round
table conference expected to be held
next spring or summer they have no
other means of interdiction.
1t is an open secret here that British
diplomacy made strong representations
10 Japan. making II plain that Great
Britain under no circumstances would
be jockeyed. cajoled or forced into a
situation where she could be used or