The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-07-06

other hand il is also a fact that instead i
/ of alaying apprehension in removing dis
trust the transfer of the fleet 10 the Pa (,
cifie has been looked upon by the Iapan-i
csc as a move requiring further activity
on their. part and Fastening their naval
building program.
No Disarmament ut Present
| Meanwhile in the field of diplomacy
several other moves have been madei
which have acceHtuated the fact that
until the special problems existing be
tween the United States and Japan areI
solved the friends of disarmament will be
! laundering away at a stone wall. If any
body else in the administration except
Ambassador Harvey had drawn attention.
to perious possibilities ON the Pacific
the ntterauee would have been passed by
! without significance. But Ambassador
Harvey has been entrusted with the very
task of canvassing the sentiment of the
other governments concerning diSarma-
lment and his conclusion that apprehen-
sionS concerning the relation between the
United States and Japan must first be
diSpelled before there can be diSarma-
mpnt is looked upon today as the frank
answer and key To the whole diSarma-
ment situation.
The statement by Baron Shidehara.
japanese ambassador To the United
States. to the effect that the proposed
.Anglo-Japanese alliance was not intended
as hostile to the United States is a recog-
milton by Japan of the sentiment which
has been growing i'm the United States
against the renewal of the alliance. The
British government has found it neces-
Sary to assure Canada and Australia
that the Anglo-JapaueSe alliance does not
require the British empire to assist Japan
in the event of war with the 'nited
States. Indeed. there is no escaping the
fact that both Great Britain and the
United States would have no difficulty
in coming to an agreement on the reduc-
ton of armament expense if their rcspec-
tive relations with Japan could be placed
upon a firm foundation Of true fricnd-
ship. The IfpafieSp. however. arc rbaiiy
more eager To renew their alliance with
Great Britain than is apparent. and the
British are unable to give n substantial
treason for disseminating without offending
1.-THE pride of Japan
League Might Settle 1t.
If IT were not for the particular situa-
tion that has arisen with respect to the
refusal of the | nited States government
10 enter the league of nations the prob
| lem might easily have been solved. The
| league itself does not recognize alliances
| unless they are stripped of any offensive
| character aud are plainly defensive But
there Is no nation I'm the present league
| which has sufficient interest at stake to
Japanese agreement or its scope. The
| United States government has not been
consulted either by Japan or by Great
! Britain, and there is no diplomatic way
by which the Washington government can
interpoSP its viewpoint except through
the press. The American government
has certainly not seen fit to encourage the
idea of an Anglo-IapaneSe alliance. and
has on one occasion shown its displeaSure
that America was not being consulted.
| There is a growing curiosity in Wash
ington to know why it is that both Japan
and Great Britain are pledged by article
ten of the league of nations covenant to
| protect their respective territorial integ
rity 'as against external aggression
should need defensive alliance.
Wilson Tried to Stop Japan.
Friends of President Wilson who were
at the peace conference say that Mr.
Wilson really sacrificed his views on the
Shangtung question i'm order to make
sure of JapanS entrance into the league
of nations. feeling that it was absolutely
essential to bring Japan within the jurS-
diction of the league. SO as to prevent q
possible war. between the United States
and Japan 1t was Mr. Wilson'S idea
that by making the far eastern problem a
matter of common concern there would
be less chance of a conflict between any
two nations over Japanese questions
lnasmuch as America is not a member
of the league of nations the Washington
government must seek through the ave
| nueS of diplomacy a way to insure peac,
| on the Pacific. Secretary Hughes is di
recting all his efforts in that direction
But it has now been officially disclosed
that disarmament will have to wait unit
diplomacy has tried its hand.