The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1921-08-31
THE BRITISH JAPANESE ALLIANCE


and is not inconsistent with the purposes of the
Washington conference. We do not believe that
the British and the Japanese are joining against
America as the British, French, and Russians
joined in the triple entente against the triple
alliance but why are they joining again?
Alliances are not expressions of sentiment
but are formed to attain an object or maintain a
status. Japans object is territorial expansion,
of resources, control of the Pacific
and the development of colonies where the Japa-
nese laborer can work.
Great Britans object is control of the seas,
maintenance of the empire, restoration of it's in
dustry, the regaining of the world power in trade,
and the re-establishment of its financial leader
ship.
Japan in pursuit of its object has fought three
wars, with China, Russia, and Germany, and those
wars gave the Japanese Corea, Formosa, Port
Arthur, Saghalin, economic control of Shantung,
military occupation of part of Siberia, and posses
sion of the strategic islands in the Pacific.
Great Britain, in pursuit of its object, twice
made serious trouble for the United States once
in 1912, when we had to fight humiliating war,
and again when we were fighting a civil war, and
when Great Britain in self-nterest took the 0ppor-
tunity to destroy American commerce and en-
deavored to divide the American republic into two
nations.
The United States was fighting to preserve
its unity and to destroy slavery but not even the
moral issue appealed to such man as Gladstone,
much less to Russell-at least not sufficiently to
overcome the authoritative commands of what
they regarded AS British interests.
We are not bringing moral indictments against
L, MI
interest. We want to examine their interests to
understand, if possible, what their plans involve.
Their needs are apparent now, Great Britain
to recover, Japan to continue expanding. What
is our position. We are the people whom Japan
finds in possession of lands it wants. Directing to
its expansion into lands where we have no author
ity, protesting against the overrunning of China
and Siberia, excluding Japanese citizens from our
country, and demanding that it give up part of
what it won in war;
We are the people whom Great Britain finds
in its position as the world power in finance We
further antagonze the British by foolish talk Of
having the greatest navy in the world by interior
ing with their management of the Irish question,
by nOsng into their affairs, by covertly threaten
ing them with our potential power
In these circumstances, if Great Britain and
Japan renew an alliance the United States had
better speculate as to what it means. If we try
for incomparably the greatest navy in the world -
the alliance will present us with two navies to
outbuild If we get into trouble with Japan,
Great Britain must at least maintain benevolent
neutrality towards it ally and with it's sea power
will cOnstrue the laws of the sea and determine
what is an effective blockade
No blockade we may safely assume, will pre-
vent the sale of British goods to the British allies
1t would do no harm to Great Britain if Japan
and the United States fought war which tried
or exhausted BOTH If the Japanese were so badly
punished that they could not be danger to the
British domains, that would be British gain
If the United States were turned from peaceable
industry and commerce, that would be a British
gain.
Great Britain might feel relieved if the ally
were less aggressive and expansive, and if thC
United States were less powerful, had fewer ships
on the sea, sent fewer commodities abroad, anC
: had currency of less value. Great Britain thel
would be back again on the top of the sea and tn
: top of the earth. This is condition not withou
it's value in the opinion of British craftsmanship
2 With Japan in alliance with Great Britain
any kind of an alliance, there are two chances O
: the Japanese risking war with the United State
to if the alliance is not renewed. Lloyd Georg
e may be as sentimental as he pleases about tn
e japanese contribution to the winning of the wal
e but the alliance is not an echo of the past, bu
h sign of the future.
t If the purposes Of japan and Great Britai