New-York tribune., 1921-11-06
Clash Is Believed Possible
Unless Agreement Is Reached
Will Hughes Repeat Blundcr of Wilson in Paris? ?
Experts Ask; Principles and Facts Again in
= Judgment; Peacemaker Sought I

1t depends upon persuading them 70
accept the principles of the open door
and the integrity of China, since ws
have predicated all our action upon OBJ
tanning that conversion. Failing that,
limitation of ornaments becomes ir-
nigh inevitable. Or it depends upon
persuading all the other great powers
that they and we have equal interest
in establishing these principles, which
means alliance first and war later. But
this, again, is very far from the lini
tation OF armament
| presume that go per cent Of the
people of the United States desire to
see armaments limited, military and
naval expenditure reduced. This Is
what the Washington conference means
to them. But what percentage would
be willing to indorse another war 70
establish the principles of the open
door and the integrity Of China7 Yet
just this is the real question befcre
the forthcoming conference, and the
limitation of armaments is in the
background until it is disposed Of.
Japanese Concessions
Will Be Rigidly Limited
And there is not one man in ten
who knows the Far East who will not
concede that any attempt to establish
both principles absolutely means war.
Men differ as to what Japan will con-
cede of what she has sought, and In
part attained, IL gier to avid war.
but all agree that her concessions
will in any event be rigidly limited
and in no case will amount to fulfilling
the three points of Mr.. Hughes. Such
is the Washington situation at the
moment when the conference assem-
bles.
There is another aspect of the situa-
tion which must be recognized. The
fact that Mr.. Hughes has taken a def
mite position, elected to stand on the
three points, which involves clear
and open collision with japanese pol
icy, means that the control Of the
Washington conference in the nature
of things will tend to pass to otaer
hands. It will inevitably devolve UPON
some statesman of third country to
seek to avoid break by finding a basis
of compromise between America ana
Japan.
This would seem to indicate only one
thing. Before he has been in Wash
ington a week Lloyd George may dom
mate the whole situation. No princi-
pie troubles him. His objective is
adjustment, his purpose and his neces-
sity are to prevent clash fatal T.,
British as to all other interests He
will have to do again what he and
Clemenceau did at Paris-namely. ind
some viable method Of applying the
American points.
More and more Washington Is com
ing to believe that the real hope of
even a moderately successful outcome
of the conference will rest with Lloyd
George. Unless he can find basis
of compromise between Mr.. Hughess
points and the Japanese performances
the Washington conference threatens
to be failure and just as certain q
prelude to war as was the Algeciras
conference half q generation ago.
But this means that the agreement
which emerges from the Washington
conference will be as essentially a
British solution as was that which
came forth from the Paris conference.
and every one knows the perils which
this involves
Copyright. 1921, BY the Mcclure Newspaper
Syndicate