New-York tribune., 1921-12-25
New Pact Satisfies All Powers
And Meets Demands of Senate
Inclusion of France Party to Agreement is Resu4
Of Insistence of American Delegates and Pre-.
cludes Anglo-Japanese Contro

cludes Anglo-.Ja
in the Pacific, but they are small and
unimportant, and the Pacific is not d
field Of Franch activity or interest.
The admittance Of france was super
ficially graceful recognition Of Erencn
prestige IS great power, buc, on lie
other hand, it was concession TO
American insistence that the presence
Of France was necessary, if the treaty
were to be put through the United
lean representatives in the conference
would seem to have been outgeneraled
and brought into an arrangement in
which two former allies would certain
ly outvote and overbear them.
Keeping in mind this history, one
may interpret the Four Power Treaty
quite exactly. But in Interpreting it
one must bear in mind always the ex-
plaaation Of why it was made. America
asked, specifically, definitely, frankly,
that the Anglo-Japanese alliance be
eliminated. Great Britain aud Japan
accepted in principle the proposal that
it be eliminated, but demanded in re
turn that they have certain benefit
which they desired and which they felt
represented a reasonable compensation
for the sacrifice which was asked Of
them.
Japanese Claims in Asia
Not Conceded by America
Now the main compensation which
the United States has conceded is TO
Japanese prestige and Japanese secur
ity. We have undertaken TO respect
the rights Of the Japanese III the case
Of their insular possessions and in
sular dominions in the region of the
Pacific Ocean. And this means, de-
spite certain vagueness in phrase
and lack of clarity in explanation, not
only the Japanese colonies but the
japanese homelands; it does not cover
any Japanese rights or claims on the
| iiAotl4ita4i OA hoi&t Dov AOCo AOFSA
all of the Japanese empire otherwise
This represents q concession to the
Japanese desire for security. 1t means
in diplomatic phrase that the United
not to question Japanese title to
islands anywhere in the Pacific. The
Japanese representatives can return to
their home and explain to their fellow
countrymen that they nave exchanges s
treaty of alliance with Britain for q
treaty of Insurance, which guarantees
them against either American or Brit
sh attack. Remember that there has
been a Japanese party which hs al
fected to believe that the United states
contemplated such an attack and the
significance is clear. Against such an
attac!, the Anglo-Japanese alliance was
practically valueless. Thus the four
party r~cacy represents & gain from
the Japanese point of view. They have
given up something, but they have
scquired something more than they had.
Ia duOttLOti IiiCy nave HSSotaSN ca'~
pledge of the United States to submit
any difference arising over Pacific
issues TO a conference Of al four
parties TO the treaty and the equally
valuable promise that in case japan
is otherwise threatened that all four
shall communicate with each other
fully and frankly TO arrive at an un-
| derstanding as TO the most e..icient
measures TO be taken, Jointly ar sepa-
rately, to meet the exigencies Of the
particular situation.
First and last great deal has been
spoken and written about this last pro-
vision, Article II of the treaty. Does
it constitute an alliance? Does it not
imply a moral if not a legal undertak
ing? It seems to me that but for q
single circumstance this question would
have to have an affirmative answer
But this circum stance is all-imp portant
it is found in the words Of Senator
Lodge in explaining the treaty, which
were as follows:
Hcl 10 iO PiSNASioiA AO| WIN 49,
Of force to carry out any OF the terms
Of the agreement and no military or
naval sanction turks anywhere in the
background or under cover Of theso
plain and direct clauses"
Speech of Senator Lodge
Presents ". S. Interprets
For the purposes OF international
procedure the speech of Senator Looee
| is part of the treaty, SO far as the
United States is concerned. Since his
Interpretation was accepted by the ma
tions present and concerned, it will
rot be possible for any one Of them III
the future to seek to read into the
language of the document any mean
ing at variance with the Interpretation
given by him in his speech, and this
circum stance must be kept in mind IN
all Of this discussion which, is bound
to come now, in and out of the United
States Senate. You can't take the
! treaty without the speech and read into
! it all sorts of meanings, which the
Senator from Massachusetts deliberate
ly read out Of it, without doing vio
| !ence to international precedent and