The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-11-01

banquet drivel?
This. i'm a nutshell is the first funda-
.mental which will be settled by the on
ference on arm8ments and Far Eastern
p,roblelns which brings to Washington in
the next fortnight the representatives of
an the major powers in the most impor-
TINT gathering since the peace c%onfer-I
ence that ended the European war.
Removes VeH of Mystery.
To understand the many fine points Of
the coming conference, to read between
the lines of its formal statements and
diplomatically toned speeches, the aver
dse American who.doesn,t follow the lntrl-
caeies-of diplomacy will do. well to bear
in mind certain facts which have been
developing slowly in recent months but
which when pieced together remove en-
tirely the veil of mystery from the prof.
-ceedings which we are soon TO witness
here.
In the first place, without detracting
i'm the least from the lofty spirit which
acblated President Harding in summon
ing the conference of powers, tits import
tant to disclose just how the meeting hap
bened to be called. Events forced the
issue-eventS indeed over which the
United States did nat have complete COM
troll. Here is the inside story:
Harding Driven on His Feet.
President Harding told the American,
npOple as soon as he took office that he
wanted TO put America,s house IN order
first before tackling questions OF foreign
policy. He honestly believed it coutd be
] DOME AIR. Wilson -aS prPSIdent-had
given first consideration to foreign policy,
had gone overseas himself to help settle
it. while taxation and after-the-war eco
nomic issues developed intense Irritation
at home. Mr.. Harding thought he would
reverse the process. But when he began
49, r. - .laL1a-nn-nE rom ms
trusted ambassador in Great Britain,
George Harvey. telling him what was
happening in Europe Mr.. Harding took
ie6unSeI with Secretary Hughes and he
lrealized. that the situation was develop,
ing faster than he had imagined. He had
believed that with the settlement OF DO
8mestic questions. there would be time later
to enter the realm of international confer
+ence. When Senator Borah of Idaho and
fothers. fiamored for a conference on dis
larmame1t. Mr.. Harding felt that while
the object was a good one ms hand ought
not to be forced. He believed such things
1rould wait till our government was ready
to give its whole-hearted attention to the
matter.
But something happened in London to
4! upset Mr.. Harding's plans for an orderly
handling of these thorny questions OF for
eign policy. That something was the
imperial conference of dominion premiers
in June.
British Dominions Opposed.
Surely, you will say, a meeting Of the
prime ministers of Canada, New Zealand,
South Africa. Australia and India is a
domestic matter-how could such a COM
sultation in London affect the calm OF
official Washington 5000 miles away:
iThe answer Is this:
The conference Of premiers was called
by Prime Minister LLOYD George to learn
fr - - ILL., n.ss.-I. L--...L-LnvrT on
should not renew the offensive and de-
lfensive alliance between Great Britain
and Japan, commonly called the Anglo
Japanese Alliance 1t was made about
20 years ago and provided for a close
working arrangement between Japan and
1 Great Britain for their mutual interest.
The phrases of that alliance looked. harm
less. Indeed. lest it he supposed that
| Great Britain would be obligated to help
I Japan IN case of war between America
and Japan, a provision was incorporated
I~Saying that England was not required TO
fight alongside of Japan if the latter coun-
try made war against any country With
which Great Britain had an arbitration
Eteaty. In the early days this exception
was considered a sop to American opinion
and nobody in official circles had any
fears of an A~ngIo-Japanese naval COM
bination against America in wartime
Dominions a Real Power.
But since the original Angl0-Japanese
alliance was written in 1901 many things
have occurred, notably the European
war. Various parts of the British I'm
pire which had heretofore allowed Lon-
don a free hand in making foreign policy
for the Whole empire awoke to a national
} Consciousness
When thousands of young men. the
flower of a nation, are sacrificed on the
field of battle for the preservation of an
--. ITH
tant from the bereaved homes. a spirit of
: interest develops at once. Canada has
lost in. greater proportion than did the
United States: AIrstralia's brave troops
were moved down at Gallipoh and on the
western front. Small wonder that the
various British dominions rose up and
demanded "A voice in foreign policy-in
the moves that might lead to a future
war. . -
Since the Daminions were given repre-
-sentatieR in the assembly of the league
of nations they have been taking a deep
interest. in, the foreign policy of the Brit
iSh Empire. For one thing. AuStraiiaS
alert statesman, Premier Hughes, has
been interested naturally in what islands
IN the Pacific were awarded to Japan.
what was to happen to former German
EcoloIieS under the system of mandates or
trusteeships set up by the Paris confer
enep as 4 sort of substitute for direct an
1~nexation of territory Friction has devel-
oped since the Paris conference over the
distribution of those islands-the United
States. for instance. declining to recog-
nize Iapan's right over the important is
land of zap which controls cable COM
munication between California and the
Far East.
Australia isn't anxious to see Japan
grow more and more dominant in the
Pacific. Western Canada, which has re-
ceived many japanese immigrants. has
virtually the same attitude toward the
assimilation Of japanese with Anglo-SaX-
Qns as have the people of California. New
Zealand thinks about the same as Aus
]tralia. 1T was a stormy session which
the British government had with the
dominion premierS. Opposition TO the
renewal Of the Anglo-Japanese alliance
was uumistakable. America took no part,
but our government was happy to-See. the