New-York tribune., 1921-11-02
The Coming Conference

raised: "Why should the conference
be held at Washington? Why not at
London or Paris ?" The first and suf
| fcient answer is that the issues to be
discussed, while of European interest,
are not distinctively or chiefly Euro
pean. The European maritime powers
are undoubtedly interested in the fu-
ture destiny of the Pacific Ocean, but
mainly because they possess domnions
or colonies on or near it's shores, or
claim spheres Of interest there. They
are not so vitality affected by what
may happen in that ocean as the ma
tions bordering upon it are, whose en-
tire future may depend upon the pos
sibility of a just and peaceful entente
under which they are to live. Primarily
the issues to be discussed at Washing
ton are European. They are conspicu-
ously American and Asiatic, because
the Pacific is the center of movements
that do not agitate the other great
waters of the globe to an equal de-
gree.
In any case, Europe has not the
temper of mind and does not at present
afford the atmosphere for the kind Of
business that is to be transacted at
Washington. Europe has too many
ready formed opinions, too many in
eradicable prejudices and too many
iealouses to enyisage the problem of
maritime power with calmness. For
great masses Of Europeans experience
has established the conviction that war
is inevitable whenever important inter
ests clash. The habitual condition Of
mind is one Of nervousness and appre-
| hension and it requires little to induce
the belief that conflict is imminent. At
Geneva during the meeting Of the
Assembly and in the very hall where
the delegates were discussing the obli-
CATION Of economic blockade, ! was
assured that the next war would be
between the United States and Japan,
or else with Great Britain, and perhaps
WiCu DOLll dJ LIc SdIUC tlIllc. W USll /
asked for the reason for this predic-
tion | was told that the war was al
ready prepared for, that the Anglo
Japanese Alliance was continued for
that purpose, for Japan was determined
to dominate in China and Siberia. Great
Britain expected by this diversion TO
preserve Australia to the white race
and British supremacy in India, and as
a consequence the alliance would not
be Abandoned
When / objected to this accusation
as unfounded and remarked that all
three of these countries had just fought
together in the great war on the same
side, | was gravely recommended to
consider that they had not done so for
the same motives, as the secret treaties
and the postwar occurrences had clear
ly proved. "Remcmber," said my fatal
istic friend, "Great Britain has never
tolerated, and from the nature of her
empire can never tolerate, form liable
rival on the sea. If there is to be peace
between the United States and Great
Britain the United States must stop
building ships. You must not forget
what has happened to Spain, Holland,
France and now Germany, with every
one of which there have been periods
of intimate friendship. History is not
n matter of human voltions; it is the
creature of economic necessity"
History Refutes Doctrine;
Case of Germany Is Cited
This is not the place to refute this
a priori philosophy of historical de-
velopment, contradicted by the fact that
the greater part of progress has con-
sisted in the mastery of DETECTION OF
natural forces by the intelligence and
benefcent purposes Of men. Ii is a
philosophy which for forty years has
been taught in Germany and the appli-
cation of which to the United States
and Japan | have personally heard for
the last twenty years, and I regret to
say the wish for conflict has been
father to the thought.
1t is, of course, true that, pre-
cminently among the European powers
| Great Britain is greatly interested in
the future OF the Pacific. The des-
TIMES of Canada, Australia and New
Zealand arc bound up with the solu-
ton of its problems. Their interests
coincide to certain extent with those
Of the United States, but their con-
ccptions of the manner in which those
interests are to be secured differ even
, among themselves. 1t is certain, how
ever that British policy will eventually
find itself less interested in the asser-
ton of European eminent domain in
Asia than in the security and the par
ticipation OF the integral parts of
what now is pleased to call itself the
British commonwealth. This forward
step in the evolution of British i'm.
V roria1 po1icv mad ;pvoIro co