Evening star., 1921-10-29

following is the first of O series of articles
by Junns B. Wood for many months staff
| correspondent Of The Star and Chicago Daily
News In Japan on matters to be considered by
| the Washington conference on the Limitation of
armaments and the problems of the Pacific
Mr.. Wood now is on his way to Washington
to report the cOnference.l
BY JUNIUs b. WOOD.
| Special Correspondence Of The Star and Chicago
Daily News.
TOXIC. Japan, October 10.-"As yox
| were, men," Is a familiar military or
der with a wealth of Significance. After
the distinguished visitor has arrived,
the ranks stand at attention, the in
spection of the moment Is finished,
the commanding officer gives the
nonchalant command sand the old
routine is resumed.
international militarism will stand
at attention at the Washington con-
ference and the men and women who
pay the bills for that display will
make the inspection. While most Of
the commanding officers-the mill
tarists who direct the vast units Of
each nation--hope to finish with the
welcome "As you were, men" the
great public expects that goodly
proportion of the present array of
men and ships will march off the
worlds parade ground and out of the
annual appropriation bills as result
Of the deliberations Of the conference.
That the conference will clear the
atmosphere by extracting more or
less frank declaration of the ambi-
tions and policies of the participating
powers seems inevitable. That ii will
create a Utopia of individual and in
ternational brotherly love. where
armies and naVies are no longer need
ed, is hardly expected by any person
familiar with the history of the pug
! naciouS spirits of the human race. 1t
may not be practical to reduce arma-
ments overnight. But the conference
can lay the basis for a gradual re-
duction of armaments to the mini
mum absolutely needed, and the prob
ability that it will succeed in doing
SO depends entirely upon the atmos-
phere in which the delegates meet
ana the diplomatic oil that smooths
the machinery Of the conference.
! Ihe Washington conference will face
tne limitation of armament and the
racine problems. the two topics men
! .inNeu IN PRESIDENT Harding's invitation
ALREADY the question has been asked,
especially in Japan, whether these
are to be separate or related sub
Jects. There is no doubt that eco
nomic and social problems in the
racine relate to armament, and il
should be equally clear that similar
problemS In other parts of the world
must be considered in order to effect
any adequate solution of the arma =
ment question. The kasumigaseki.
Iohios diplomatic center, did not
hesitate to express its concern at the
specific mention Of Pacific problems
Mnen the conference call startled the
world. Japan scented movement
10 single her out as the scapegoat
| armaments
Thls is one of the reasons why il
may be anticipated that a suggestion
SI1l be made at the conference To
start first on the topic of limiting
ornaments. Such Pacific problems or
problems in other parts of the world
as relate to it could follow in the
regular order. Each nation has its
own views on this order of procedure
Military men say that this order, as
between the naval programs of japan
| ana the United States, will be dis
! uhctiF favorable to Japan. To the
man unskilled in diplomacy it Nigh,
seem that fixing the size of arma
ments before considering the causes
which make ornaments necessary is
IKE the methods of the farmer who
aec!des how many sacks he will need
oefore he knows the size of his potato
crop. p''" -
| Scientific discussion of armamen,
requires tables of figures in ascend
ing and descending progression.
winch leave any, except army or navy
statisticai experts. hopelessly fioun-
dering. Even the experts seldom agree
computations of armament expert.
are as conflicting as the testimony
OF ai1enistS at a murder trial.
As Between America and Jap.n.
Even upon the basis that will be ac.
cepted for figuring respective arma
neht needs, there is no expert agree.
ment. In discussing the nayies O,
the great powers some publicists ir
Japan suggest that the number n,
, shlps which Japan can afford out OF
its annual revenues be determined
! ana that the other powers then limit
their respective navies to the sam.
numoer-a sort of international so.
clai1sm from an empire which nuts
individual socialists in Jail. More
thoushtfui proposals are that each
nations naval strength be fixed ac.
cordins TO its population. miles OF
coast line. tonnage of merchant ships
hational revenue or hereditary nava
position. Probably a composite of al
five factors will be followed
Between the United States an.
Japan the biggest point of issue i,
regard to armament is expected tt
concern the Notifications on Guam
Hawaii and the s-whethe,
they shall be razed or their construc.
ton halted; whether Apia, Pearl Har.
| Dor and Cayffe shall cont;o,,o = i, ,a...