New-York tribune., 1920-12-27
Informal NegotiationsAre
Under Way With South
Africa, Australia, Can.
ada and New Zealand
Identical Interest
Inspires Program
Speech of Lodge in Phila-
delphia Is Regarded as
Genesis of Movement
By Carter Field

WASHINGTON. Dec. Zb.-U nOmcIal
and informal negotiations have been
roinq on for more than a week look
ipe to some kind of working agree
.ment between the United States and
Canada. Australia, New Zealand and
South Africa. with view to maintain
;ur q united front against Japanese
immigration.
These four British dominions are
confronted with much the same prob
lem with regard to the japanese which
Las resulted, so far as this country is
concerned, in the California laws at
tempting to prevent Japanese owner
ship of land, and the troublesome nego-
tistions between the State Department
and Japanese diplomats over the Cali
fornia laws.
It Is regarded here as rather remark
able that at time when anti-British
feeling In America is being stimulated
BY the news from ireland and by vari-
Gus kinds of propaganda any move in
the direction of closer community of
interests with countries over which the
Union Jack floats should be under way.
1t is also regarded as strange that
such = move should be definitely in
progress at the very moment when the
Japanese Foreign Minister is telling
his Diet that negotiations with America
probably will soon conclude with a
treaty overriding the California laws.
Senators Studying Program
Far from laying plans for ratifca-
ton Of a treaty invalidating Cali
fornia's antiJapanese laws, Senators
are seriously discussing q proposition
which would result in a united front
being made against Japanese immigra-
tion by FIVE powerful countries whose
interests IN excluding Japanese na-
tionals are identical.
The fact that four of these countries.
Canada. Australia. New Zealand and
South Africa. are supposed to be IN
c!uded with Great Britain in an ai1i-
snce with Japan, whereas the pro
posed program contemplates their iden-
sshcation with the United States in a
move against Japan's expressed inter
est, adds complications to an already
rather involved situation.
SO far as can be learned no step has
been taken by the British dominions to
present the proposal directly to the
state Department. The brief tenure
o. the present Administration is of
course realized. and it is considered d
lursner that nothing along this line
Undertaken by the present Administra-
t'on would make any real progress to-.
ward the desired consummation.
Up to date the only exchanges have
been with Republican Senators known
70 be in close sympathy with the prob
aole foreign policy Of the Harding. Ad-
ministration.
Inc hrst open move was made by
Senator Henry Cabot Lodge. chairman
o. the Senate Foreign Relations Com
mittee and Republican leader of the
senate in speech several weeks ago
IN Philadelphia. Many subjects were
discussed in the speech. and no public
astention was attracted at the time to
: paragraph far down in it which re-
1erred to the Japanese problem. The
paragraph appeared to be very casual,
%. II suggested nothing less than a
anion OF the British dom mons border
asns on the Pacific with the United
States In dealing with the problem Of
ship. '""o o"''7'-
British Embassy Interested
while this paragraph escaped the
sstentlon of the public at the time.
aao since for that matter, it did not
Escape very important persons con-
aecled with the British diplomatic
ssNic' and also with the governments
~ these British dominions. On the
so;hn,lary copy of what Mr. Lodge
40 49, .ouno ITS way into the British En-
.s;Hosy mere IN an astonishingly sh Drt
sms' tn view of the scant attention
xsto 70 IL by the newspapers. At the
;moassy IT was regarded with intense
hh.s,sest, ahs,N, as may we'll be imagined, but
s'ousiy also there is nothing official
70 It. S"' 10 Win regard
Dus very high official of the gov
nnment OF Australia did not feel 80
sssmpered By diplomatic red tape. and
'ices ne ~as not at all embarrassed
.he Anglo-Japanese treaty. More
Ts1' ne knew wtll that the feeling in
ss ~, Zealand and Canada vas precisely
'ai,ar 70 the feeling in Australia and
y - eee United States with regard to
sIe situation SO, believing the idea
sosahced by Senator Lodge to be a
ssP'enoid solution OF the whole diff
ssaity' he wrote 70 Mr.. Lodge com
rssnnu'ng the suggestion Of a league OF
Ssssh- speaking nations whose boun-
mes touch the Pacific.
az; Lodge has since informed nany
"a ~ colleagues az 10 the situation
sss.he .he approval Of the Massachusetts
snseors III idea has been general. de-
ehe secrecy which has guarded
"' o'scpssicns 70 f-r.
~