The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-11-12
TODAY THE WASHINGTON
CONFERENCE

Tho opening OF the conference on
the limitation OF armament and Far
Eastern questions at Washington today
marks tho first act OF real leaders p
In international affairs ever undertaken
by tho United states. The eject OF this
conference on future generations and
It's influence on history depends entirely
on what will be accomplished by Il In
the next several days.
Perhaps never before IN history has
a meeting or conference been &C.
claimed hy such an international desire
for accomplishment and at the same
time with such an International feeling
OF suspicion ard dIStrust. America
knows that she - acting ah"vHhoar'I
and on tho level. but she - not 30 sure
about Japan. England or france: Japan
may be jus, rs sincere. hut shs cannot
feel the necessary trust N America or
England. and 40 ! goes However. they
are all crying internally. juSc as we are.
for decrease in armament. war and
wars costs. That is certain.
Problems To- be solved by the confer
ence must aret q all be reduced 70
Their simplest forms and laid on tho
table IN their naked truths. The en-
crossing problems will come from the
Pacific. ami are varied IN their SCOPE.
Japan VIII otter ,he greatest enigma.
the solving Of which Will greatly fncili-
tate the progress and accomplishments
OF the conference. II is the simple fact
that Japan's population IS increasing at
the rate OF TO. 1n0 per year. and her
territory Is not suTIc:en, 20 acc"mmo-
date tho new inhabitants. Already she
has density ot H"n TO the squa-" mile
while In COMPARISON America has u
density OF only - 70 the square mile
In Japan today the people are openly
violating the laws against birth control
and the government - tacitiy acuuicsc-
ing
But this Is not Japans great prob
lem. She Is tEehtInE for an uain,"rrupt-
ed supply OF raw materials Japan Will
not take up arms because the doors o:
imm grafton are closed to her but she
will fght II the United States or any
other nation should adopt Il policy tina,
would stand IN the Way ~ Japan IN
Siberia. Such Interference would
threaten not only the national prosper
ity OF japan. but even her very exist
ence. That Is the real problem Of the
Pacific
Not only IN Japan IS there srea; dis
trust Of the integrity OF tho Washing
ton conference. but in Europe a. well.
In France and italy there seems % bs
a general idea that the Washington
conference IL the product OF An Anglo
American understanding. A theory that
has received wide acceptance in France
and Italy Is that the conference origin
ated In London In q meeting which
Lord Curzon had with the American and
Japanese ambassadors and the Chinese
minister. Some Of tho European critics
see In the conference "Comhtnat!un
that will turn the Pacific into IN Amcri-
can lake. the Mediterranean into a
British lake and the Atlantic Into an
Ansio-Am"rican lake. one Freedman
visions the thr"" Hr-at ttnns --
America. I:nGlHnG and Japan--try.ng -
stem the t;de which Is sweeping them
along so dangerously. II they cannot
agree. grave events may follow. FOR ths
very realization by them that they can
not acre" may serve q hasten disaster
mil that yrry shortly"