The daily times., 1921-07-06
JAPAN RELATIONS
CHIEF OBSTACLE
TO DISARMAMENT
ATLANTIC is PEACEFUL.
All Danger as Far as Naval
Warfare is Concerned Has
Shifted to the Pacific; There
is Ground for Hope that this
Danger May soon be Eli
minated.
ATLANTIC is PEACEFUL
By David Lawrence

By David Lawrence
Copyright, 1921, by the Daily Times
Washington, d. c., July 5.-For
several weeks the Washington cor
respondents have been asking Pres
ident Harding and Secretary Hughes
for information concerning disarma-
ment. What, they have inquired, is
standing in the way9 To all has been
given the same answer polite dis
| inclination to discuss the matter in
any form beyond the general state
] ment that informal feelers had been
put out to learn the attitude of the
other powers.
Now, however, George Harvey
American ambassador to Great Brit
ain, and President Harding's person
al and official representative on the
Supreme Council, has at last lifted
the veil of secrecy and confirmed
| what has been suspected, but never
officially admitted, namely, that our
relations with Japan constituted the
chief obstacle to immediate disarma-
ment. Here are the words in Col
enel Harvey,s July Fourth speech~at
/, London, which conveys more signi-
ficanee than any other utterance ON
the subject made by, spokesmen of
the administration:
| tFor the first time in history the
turbulent Atlantic has become as a
mill pond, particularly eliminated
from considerations. of danger so far
as naval warfare is concerned. There
lis ground for good hope, however,
that whatever apprehensions exist of
perilous possibilities on the Pacific
may be dispel1ed sooner than is COM
monty anticipated. When, if at all.
that splendid eonsummation shall be
iobtained in response to the apparent
ly universal desire, disarmament will
follow naturally and inevitably, and
peace on earth will be assured for
years at least, and it may be forever.
''Is this glorious aspiration too
much to expect? Why should it be?
IObstac1es many and grave there are.
| to be sure, but what are they? What
can they be but barriers surmount-
able by concert of purpose on the
part of all the nations directly con-
cerned and no less responsible to
others?'
Nobody in the Harding administra-
tion has heretofore made a point OF
60 - Of he
United States was practically useless
or rather potentially unnecessary
while at the same time referring to
apprehensions in the Pacific. 1t is
: lean naval forces in the Pacific has
been the result of a steady growth OF
suspicious that the next naval wal
would be fought in the Pacific. On
the other hand, it is also a fact that
instead of aa1ayfng- apprehension in
5 removing distrust, the transfer OF
the fleet to the Pacific has been look
ed upon by the Japanese az move
requiring further activity on theil
part and Fastening their naval build
ing program.
Meanwhile, in the field of diplom
: acy several other moves have beer
l made which have accentuated tht
2 fact that until the special problem'
2 existing between the United States
land Japan are solved, the friends o
q disarmament will be hammerins
: away at a stone wall. If anybody els
v in the administration except Ambas
d sador Harvey had drawn attention
1 to 'perilous possibilities on the Pa
j cif1c,'' the utterance would have beer
passed by without significance. Blu
}, Ambassador Harvey. has been en-
Q trusted with the very task of can
Ivassing the sentiment of the othe
f governments concerning disarma
< ment, and his conclusion, that ap
prehensions concerning the relation
s between the United States and Japal
/. CONTINUED on page 81