New-York tribune., 1921-11-13
Supporters Say U. S. Position Is
Based ON Historical Precedent
ssOpen Door, in China Has Been Indorsed by All
Great Nations Interested; lshii-Lansing Pact
Confirmed Japanese Attitude

them and no principles that any one
but the Secretary Of State will recor-
nize."
| Mr.. Wilson's unhappy adventures in
| international politics have made It easy
to travesty the naive expectations and
glittering moral admonitions with
he appeared on the world scene. There
is sharp reaction against uninformed
idealism in foreign policy. Hut some
of the disillusioned have been con-
vcrted to realism in world affairs
so rabid that it SHES at anything bear
ing the remotest resemblance to a
program based on moral conviction or
any other sort Of conviction. National
selfishness is, in such minds, the
only standard Of international action,
however mean form it may assume.
A world conference is looked on as a
gathering of horse traders, and the
keenest trader is apotheosized as the
most competent statesman
Political Observers
Begin to Predict Failure
There is nourishnent for the politi-
cal satirist in this view. 1t would also
act as a uscfal enough corrective were
it kept within the limits of satire.
But, unfortunately. it has been taken
up by political observers who are not
humorists, as the author Of "The Mir
rors Of Washington" is, and who are
busy predicting utter failure for Mr..
Hughes because he has had the cour-
ageto lay down principle or two, not
intended to be traded off for islands,
mandates, spheres Of influence, terri
torial leaseholds or economic conces.
sions.
The theory that Mr. Hughes has
fatally handicapped his diplomacy by
repeating Mr.. Wilson'S idealistic blum
ders rests on a double misconccption.
1t mistakes the character Of the prin-
ciples which he has affirmed and also
the underlying purpose Of the confer
ence. The Harding Administration is
small advantages in the Pacific or about
forcing the United States into the ranks
of those who are trying to benefit from
an adroit exploitation Of China. We
have never been in that business, and
don't want to break into it, after Will
liam lis manner Of squeezing at the
last minute into "a place in the SUM-"
If we are isolated because We have kept
out of the Chinese scramble it is Of
the utmost Importance to find out
whether or not the conditions which
isolate US are to continue. We want
to know where and how we stand. To
discover that is from the American
point of view one Of the fundamental
purposes of the conference.
Likeninx of Hughcs's Policy
To That of Wilson Is Absurd
To say that the Harding Hughes pol
icy at Washington is q replica of the
Wilson policy at Paris is peevish ab-
surdity. Mr.. Wilson took with him
abroad in 1918 single, definite pro-
posal, as Mr.. Lansing tells us. 1t was
& plan to create at the peace confer
ence an international organism with
superstate powers. This body was not
only to guarantee against external ag-
gression the existing territorial
boundaries of all it's member states,
but was also to have the power, by q
three-fouvths vote, to rearrange those
existing boundaries, if a plausible de-
mand for "sclf determination" on the
part of subject race or people should