Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-10-15
POWERS ARE M|SLED;'
AMERICA NOT BROKE.
BY HERBERT COREY

n0CenC phrases, ana getting WHILE
eyed every time a piece Of paper
blew across the international road
Now it seems that all the diplomatic
can be stripped from
it as one would strip a banana. The
agenda the world has been awaiting
with so much shivering is as nom
complex as Jack Dempsey's fist.
Shall we forget the past and start
fair?' is the query addressed by the
United States to the other powers in
terested in the east.
If the answer is 'yes," then China
is assured of the right to trade with
whom she wishes and where she
wishes. She will again become a
self-governing and self-respecting
nation. Her rights will not be In
trade agreement or railroad compact
or port lease, or any other trick or
device. She will be on precisely the
same plane that all the other ma
tionS are.
If the answer is "no"-WeIl, it has
been made fairly plain hereabouta
that if the answer is mo" the United
come about as well as any of the
other nations can. Diplomats of some
other nations got wrong idea about
the position OF the Harding admins
tration some weeks ago. They
thought that Mr.. Harding had SO
tration to the success Of the arms
parley that if some sort of an agree
ment were not reached for a reSAc-
ton in armament he would be de-
feated at the next election.
Therefore" they seem, to have
caught in the door. He must agree
to what we demand or he will be
O1d-Sty1e Diplomacy.
That is fine old-slyIe diplomacy
bully old-style diplomacy-but it
isn't worth a nickel a bunch just
now. Mr.. Harding isn't trying to
sell peace and reduction in taxes
has simply opened the door to a room
in which these eXcellen goods are
on table. If the other
nations refuse to come in and help
themselves the dor will automatical-
ly close. 1t has been rather funny
to observe the characteristic ''reac-
a wholly erroneous thought.
Likewise the Foreign Office Of at
least one nation seems to have con-
cluded that the United States is get
Ting SO FESTIVE under the burden of
taxation that every time a naV;A
man proposes to buy new gun the
taxpayers begin to Shrek revolution.
Under the old-style diplomacy the
plan of action was as simple as a
pump. 1t having been discovered
that the United states was in a hole
the particular power alluded to
seems to have planned to throw a
rope:
''But before 1 take a drag on that
cord, SAM" the power seems to have
planned to say, what do get? l
don't want to be rude about it, but
come through! Kick inn
Uncle Sam Not worried
The plan was a corking good one,
would have worked, If Sam had been
in the hole. But he wasn't. The
American people are being taxed up
to the hole in the motometer, but all
the other people concerned in the
east are being taxed clear to the top.
We do not want to keep on paying
taxes at the present rate, but if
we can keep on paying long
after the other peoples have quit. 1t s
a shame, to be so American and brag-
gish, but it is a fact. The chances
are the old-style diplomats to whom
reference has been made were severe
ly panied.
Another rather obvious thing ap-
pears. on a study of the agenda.
Somehow a lot of US got the idea
that there was a Sir Galahad jaunt
in prospect in the east. Uncle Sam,
to gallop down stage. take a bow,
cut loose China, the distressed dam
sci, and gallop off r. u. e., with iher
IN his arms. But he seems not to
be planning to do anything of the
sort. He plans to cut China lose'
it is true, but only part Of his mo-
tives are altruistic. China has been
we are very sorry, but 1t is also
a fact that China has lot of trade,
and we want to get some Of 1t. we
are standing sturdily for fair play,
but it is a double fair play we want.
One fair play for China and one for
ourselves.
Likewise one discovers, somewhat
to ones hurt surprise. on further
digging into the agenda, that the
Yankee does not look just the same
on the other side of the Atlantic that
he does on this side. We have been
cially-w we have been told so heartily
the last few years, that we are an
extraordinarily unselfish and consid-
cradle nation, that it comes as a bit
of shock to learn that Japan doesn't
think of us that way at all. We are
perSudueu IudL Japan udS p0o1i MIS-
informed, and that we are not trying
to put anything over" and that we
have always played absolutely fair
But the fact remains that a large
section of Japanese public opinion
doubts us, and one of the jobs ahead
of Secretary Hughes will be to con-
vince the Japanese public that we
are on the square.
Fate Of the Rescuer
It has been noted by every husky
male who ever rescued a girl at
bathing beach that she somehow feels
she has a sort of a hold upon him
ever after. 1t is his duty, she thinks
to buy her nut sundaes and movie
tickets just because he made her stop
bubbling in the breakers. There are
indications th0t China is apt to act
in much that fashion. There is even
a small section of diplomatic opinion
which fears that we may have ia
plain, it is suspected that China may
demand entirely too much until she
discovers that the United States is
not appearing in the role of an attor-
ney for her at the parley.
The diplomatic tactics of the United
States appear to be simple, all right
simple, but not naive. The admin
istration seems to be in a mood to
sit down at a table and talk bust
ness but not altogether in tenn
per to put all it's cards on the table
until the rest of the players have
agreed to a showdown. The most
genuine friendship is manifested for
all the other other contenders. That
phrase is intended to mean just what
it says. There is no evidence here
Of malice or Observation-Disclosures on the
part of any representative Of the
administration. Neither is there any
suggestion that words will be accept
ed instead of deeds. A good deal OF
the water Of experience has passed
over the mill of diplomacy in the
last seven years.
AS to the STRAIGHTFORWARD charac-
ter of the American tactics however
one instance will suffice. When the
agenda was published in London
some British papers began to culver
at the thought that the suggestion
To redl1ca armament should be con-