New-York tribune., 1921-11-09
Z. S.-Japanese Var Likely if
Pnrley Fails, Sin,onds Says
Amicable Adjustment of Conflicting Policies in Far
East Called True Objective, With Arms Reduc-
ton Incidental; Triple Alliance May Be Solution
aon to the consequences of the prin-
.iplcs which he has invoked.

tion to the consequences of the prin-
ciples which he has invoked.
Some Agreement Necessary
We must do two things, then: First,
in seeking to limit for the future any
extension of special privileges in the
Far East, which means China, by every
nation. we must recognize largely and
generously the special position which
Japan has acquired in Manchuria, n
position japan will never surrender
save after defeat in war. Secondly, we
must recognize that the Anglo Japanese
alliance, which ought to be dissolved,
whose dissolution the British desire
and the Japanese hardly oppose, can
only be achieved by an agreement to
substitute some form of Anglo-Ameri-
can-Japanese association to assist
China.
In the last analysis the Washington
conference represents, aside from the
hmi of armament detail, desire
on the part of the United States to
establish certain principles in the Far
East SO far it is on all fours with
American purposes at the Paris confer
cnce, save that Asia and not Europe is
concerned. But Enthusiastically the
United States has more Immediately
considerable interests at issue in the
Far East than in Europe and is direct
~ threatened with war if these in.
terests and similar interests of Japan
are not reconciled.
The gravest danger in the situation
lies in the fact that, precisely as was
the case in Great Britain before 1914
with respect to Germany, there is now
in the United States. so far as Japan
IS concerned, no real appreciation of
ha
guised by phrase, American policy, as
proclaimed, aims at setting limits to
Japanese expansion and therefore to
Japanese ambition. In all human his
tory every pursuit of such policy has
led to war.
The greatest hope for the avoidance
Of war to-day lies in the fact that
neither in Japan nor in the United
States Is there any considerable or re-
sponsible party or group which fails
TO appreciate the fact that war between
the two countries is not only undesira-
bic, but that whatever the issue on the
stricken field. it would mean substan-
tial ruin to the economic and financial
structures of both countries.
Must Reconcile Policies
The true objective of the Washington
conference must therefore be not the
q ecH ol SoIie ilniCaJlON In the
expenditure of the public moneys upon
military and naval programs. which
however desirable in itself. is trivi al
detail by contrast, but progress, ma
terial progress, toward an amicabie ad-
justment of the conflicting policies of
the United States and Japan in the Far
East. If war should come between the
United States and Japan it would not
be precipitated or provoked by any
competition in armament, but by that
clash of policies which alone could pro
duce such competition.
10 attempt to deal with the present
situation in the Far East and to seek
to avoid hostilities between the United
States and Japan merely or mainly
through the medium of a limitation Of
armaments is like attempting to check
a. typhoid epidemic by caring for the
victims. The source Of infection. hav-
ing been found, must be removed. and
we all know that the root cause Of the
trouble to-day is found in Chinese con-
dltlons, which not only invite but in
sure foreign interference, of which
that by Japan is only the most recent.
Copyright. 1921. Mcclure Newspaper syndi-