Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-11-18

causes of friction in the world Of the
sort that lead to war are in the Far
East. You yourself, have said this
in the invitation to the conference.
We think these causes of friction in
the Far East should be discussed
and settled. and that q Tri-par-tite
Alliance should be set up for carry
ing out these agreements.
I'VE think this should be done
first. After this has been done we
think it will be possible to arrive at
an agreement about Limitation of ar
mament such as Will make US all feel
more comfortable about the future.
We think also that il these causes of
friction in the Far East are ade-
Quately cared for first, thereafter
the agreement to limit armament
can go much further than it is pos
sible to go safely as long as the Far
Eastern questions remain unsettled.
Certainly we think that at least
the two agreements. that, the agree
ment to disarm and the agreement
about the Far East should go hand
in hand. With equal earnestness.
We think that the Far Eastern ques-
tons cannot be settled in such a way
as to assure the world that they will
remain settled in the future unless
we set up as part of the agreement
an institution to carry out these
agreements for many years to come.
Must Be An Enforcing Power
Its of no use merely to agree upon
the open door. There must be a con-
tinuously functioning institution to
maintain that agreement-to keep
the door open after VIC make it open.
For 20 years past we have all been
agreeing about the open door in prin-
ciple but we have all been violating
it in practice, that will continue to
go on in the future unless we set up
an institution in the shape of an al
lance, or concert, or a consortium
of the nations concerned to carry out
the agreement. If we don't have
this consortium or alliance we fore
see that in the future, as in the past,
each nation will go ahead grabbing
for itself. The big point of our posi-
ton is the setting up of such an AL
lance or consortium.
AT this point we ought to say that
we are apprehensive about your SEN
ate. We repeat that it Is our view
that no agreement about the Far
East can be successful unless it in
cludes an agreement 70 act in con-
cert in the future on all matters
coming up under the carrying out of
the open door principle. The thing
that worries us is whether your
American Senate will be willing to
ratify the entrance Of the United
States into any such concert for
future action in the Far East"
So much for the position Of Great
Britain and Japan. These two ma
tons share this point of view in diff
ferent degrees, Great Britain holds it
probably a little more strongly than
Japan does but both have it strong
ly in the backs Of their heads.
The American point of view, as
contrasted with the other is that we
should arrive at an agreement to
limit armament wholly Independent
Of any agreement about the Far
East. Especially is it inherent in the
American position that this agree
! ment about Limitation Of armament
should be separate from any agree
ment which includes our commit
| ment to future action in concert
with other nations in the Far East.
In short the American point OF view,
if expressed colloquially and inform
ally would be this:
1--WE have number Of difficult
questions to settle among us, and a
number of causes of friction to elimi-
nate. We are about to 60 into a con-
| ference to settle these questions, and
to eliminate these causes of friction.
Our proposal is that we first agree
to limit our armament. Our propose
briefly is that We check our guns at
the door before we enter the room to
discuss the causes of friction we think
to take stubborn positions on contro.
versial matters, IL We haven't any
guns on our hips
Mr.. Hughes May Be Uneasy. Too
| Specifically. this American position
reads very well. But we should lie
! prepared not to resent if Great Bri-
tain and Japan should be a little sus-
picious that maybe the American
state department is as uneasy about
the Senate as they are, that one of the
| reasons Mr.. Hughes wants the arma-
ment agreement first and Independent
of the Far East agreements. Is that he
can be confident of the first being 90
Kd' by the Senate and cant be equal
| ly confident as to what the Senate
might do about a Far Eastern agree
ment. especially if the slatter should
include, as Great Britain and Japan
think it should, an agreement 20 act in
concert in the future. This latter is
| just the sort of agreement about
which the Senate is most disposed to
be reluctant. Most of the arguments
on which the League Of Nations was
defeated could be brought to defeat a
Far Eastern agreement of the sort that
most of the statesmen of Great Britain
and Japan regard as indispensable.
And the United States Senate is not
the only "nigger in the woodpile." At
this moment enters China, herself.
China doesn't want any political con-
sortium for the future to supervise
her. China strongly resents the idea
that she is in need of any political
guardian. At least the Chinese dele
gates here in Washington resent.
Whether the Chinese people would re-
sent it may be a different matter.
There is always the question as to