Palatka daily news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1919-1994, 1921-07-20
IOPSIDED AND SUPERFLOUS.

President Harding's proposed con-
ference of nations on disarmament,
with a discussion of Far-Eastern
questions injected into the agenda
as an afterthought, and not hap
Ply one, promises to be both lop-sided
and superfous.
Lopsided, because it will consist
of Great Britain with her leash of
yelping young bullpups, the United
States, France, Italy, and China, ar
rayed definitely on one side, with
Japan, solitary and without a disin-
terested friend or counselor, on the
other.
Such an arrangement does not
smack of our famed anglo SaXon"
square deal.
1t will be utterly superfous, be-
cause, first, as to the question of dis
armament, this is now before the
League of forty-odd nations, includ-
ing all of the participants in Mr..
Harding's NEW association of ma
tions" at Washington, and could be
disposed of by that organization far
more effectively than by this petty
substitute for the hated Wilson
League. And, second, as to the dis
cussion of Far-Eastern questions, its
deliberations or proclaimed "princi-
pies" and agreements can not blud
even the conferees, and will not af-
feet one of the greatest stake hold
ers in the Far East-the Neither
lands, with its Immediately rich
and important empire in tire Fast
Indise.
1t is curious and motley body,
that Mr.. Harding and Secreatry
Hughes have summoned to Washing
ton. Not all the invited nations are
interested in the question of disar-
mament. China is not interested in
the least ponderable degree. Italy
has not the remotest interest in Far
Eastern questions, and is already
sneering at the suggestion of disar-
mament, in view of the work of the
League in the same field and with
infinitely greater promise of service
able achievements. China is profound
ly interested in many of the Far
Eastern questions, but her role at
such a conference is painfully like
that Of the Thanksgiving turkey at
the feast.
When the King asks Hamlet,
4'Where is Polonius ?" that wise-mad
young prince says: "At supper !
Not where he eats, but where he is
eaten"
So may it be with China at the
Washington conference of her spoil
ers.
What are these Far-Eastern ques-
tiOns, about the discussion of which
Japan is, naturally, and with the pro-
found wisdom of the Orient, some
what suspicious and alarmed?
Will they, probably, include the
BUSTING of Japan fro mShantung or
even Tsingtao, while we stay in the
Philippines, France in Tonkin, Eng
land in Hongkong-and all of them,
with Italy, keep their troops and |
their own nationa! courts in Peking
and Tien-tsin and Shanghai?'~>
Will they include the japanese
question in California and Hawaii
and not the American question in
the Philippines, or the English and
French questions in China?
Will they include the brushing of
Japan from the Asiatic continent or
while the other conferees
cling to their own spoil?
VIII they include the taking away
from Japan certain war-loot that
the yictors agreed to give her be-
fore we had beaten down our COM
pick against war and were not yet
arrived at the point where, accord
ing to Harvey, we were "afraid not
to fight?"
Will they include our insistence
upon breaking into the Djambi oil I
fields against the desires of the ,
ields against the desires of the
dropping, for the time,
'ur itch to break in the oil-fields of
criticized Mesopotamia?
And why was the Netherlands not !
nvited? The Tribune says that the
resence of the Dutch would work G
Dward delays and a clogging of a
he conference machinery" Very !,
kelly, particularly if we are to seek
, have accepted the principle that
e have the right to share in the m
Eterprises of any and every other in