The New York herald., 1921-11-14
KATO AND HIS AIDS
PREDICT AGREEMENT
Continued from First Page.

feared it's failure before leaving Japan,
that fear has been dispelled since our
arrival here. Everywhere we see ear
nestness and sincerity; we have seen no
sign of unfriendliness. And the words
which the President and the Secretary
Of State spoke yesterday have thrilled
us no less than they have thrilled the
nations of Europe and America.
Two great needs confront a troubled
world to-day. which il is largely your
mission to supply. These are light and
faith. Upon you more heavily, perhaps
than upon any other human agency de-
wolves the grave responsibility OF
spreading knowledge and inspiring con-
idence. Will YOUR cooperation the
success of the conference will be. as
sured. With the several delegates and
the press together performing their du-
ties. we witness the fulflllment OF that
happy time which your great President.
Thomas jefferson, foresaw in his fa-
nous inaugural address: Peace. COM
merce and honest friendship with all
nations"
In the event in the final analysis that
the Japanese delegates see fit to make
the naval limitations agreement con-
tngent upon the razinG of the American
Pacific fortifications the United States
'
subject is one that is generally under :
stood in America, and one to which
those charged with the conduct Of mili-
tary and naval affairs have given no emf
of study. The American position viii
be, naturally, that these fortiiications
and naval bases cannot be abandoned.
Both President Harding and Secretary
Hughes have taken pains to make II
clear that the United States holds TO the
policy that every nation in the world has
the right to defend its own territory.
The Administration OF course regards
the Notifications at Hawaii and the
Philippines as coming within this classi-
fication. The fortlEcations at Guam,
which are In the process Of construction,
also are accepted as defensive.
There has been no little talk among
the Japanese. particularly among the
militarists, that they cannot help but be
suspicious of the continued American ex-
penditures for Pacific Notifications. AL
most Immediately after the call for the
conference was issued from Washington
there appeared in the semi-official Japa-
nese press statements that IL the United
States wanted to show i-s good faith in
limiting armaments the Pacific fortifi-
cations should beedemoiished.
This talk has continued since the Japa-
nese mission reached the United States.
1t has not come from the delegates them
selves, but from various Japanese who
could be regarded as reflecting the Japa-
ncse standpoint Particular stress has
been laid on the statement that the
United States during the current year Is
spending $10,50o.00o on Pacific fortifica-
tions while the Japanese are spending
100000 for the same thing.
Tho American answer to this has been,
unOfficiallv. that tha In ncee forti fiCa-
tions in the Pacific are about complete,
whilo those of the United States are
not Military and naval authorities in
sist. and it can be regarded that this Is
also the view OF the Administration, that
the American possessions in the Pacific
cannot be regarded as secure until tho
present programme Is carried out. They
take the stand that If the Notifications
were TO be demolished the Philippines
Gaum and even Hawaii might be ex-
pected eventually TO pass from the control
OF the United States.
There are numerous strategical con-
siderations involved. but that which is
most striking Is the distance Of the
Philippines from the nearest naval bases
OF tho two countries, Japan and the
United States. The nearest American
naval base, if IL may so be regarded. is
at Honolulu, a distance OF 4,s38 miles
from Manila The nearest Japanese
naval base Is ut Yokohama. which is
1896 miles from Mania. In other
words, It is more than three times as far
from the nearest American naval base
TO Manila as IL is from tho nearest Japa-
ncse naval base. What the United States
Is trying to do is to establish a naval
base at Guam, which is 1901 miles from
Manila