Evening star., 1921-11-02
agreement on diplomatic questions
esnecially in the far east?

agreement on diplomatic. Questiohs'
especially in the far east!
announcement Nearly Bungled.
To which Ambassador Harvey might
with propriety have said:
".rhat's very true; we, too' are con-
cerned with what happens in the Pa
o;SnNmany of our own people are
openly saying the next war Will oe
with Japan. We would ike to see
far eastern questions settled 30 ina
American business enterprise WIN
have an equal opportunity alongside
Japanese, British or French BUSINESS
as the case may be.
And the British statesman might
have continued thus:
Zine: If the President Of the United
States calls conference on arma-
ment and there Is discussion OF iar
eastern questions in connection with
lit, we will not object. The initiative
will come from the United States and
we will not be in the position OF Of
Tending Japan
call. Curiously enough, the publicity
was somewhat bungled, that is. from
the European viewpoint-something
that doesn't happen often. Before the
Harding-two days, to be exact
Prime Minister Lloyd George almost
let the cat out of the bag by re-
ferring mysteriously to a diplomatic
note which had been sent to the
powers and to which replies were
Anglo-Japanese situation could be
discussed. 1t had been hoped that
i informal soundings might develop
whether Japan would come into such
a conference and then formal an.
nouncement could be made.
Publicity Forces Hand.
But it didn't work out that way
Mr.. Harding issued the call and gave
the facts at once to the press. Japar
| might have beer debating still
whether to enter an international
conference on far eastern questions
| if the discussion had been kept secret
With invitations issued to the majol
powers Of the world. Japan could no,
afford to bubble and hesitate. Sht
was compelled by world opinion tt
enter the conference.
Meanwhile Prime Minister Lloyt
George went out of his way to laut
the Initiative" of President Harding
| and Premier BRAND said the saml
thing in the French parliament, all ol
which was designed to remove any
suspicion that the British were trying
to start a world parley which would
do away with the Anglo-Japanese
alliance.
| AnElo-Japan Fact Doomed.
| Yet that is the cold fact. Sooner o,
later Japan will realize that wher
America projected far eastern uues.
tions in the conference on Limitation
of armaments that act sealed the
doom of the Anglo-Japanese alliance
though it might well be said tina,
! Canada and Australia had already
made 1t impossible for tho British
government to keep the pact much
| longer.
| In any event, the issuance of tn,
call for q conference on far eastern
questions simply revived the Who'll,
controversy which has fbeen intermit.
| tently bothering European chancel
| leries for more than two decades
ever since Secretary John Hay triet
| to establish the "open door, polio.
| and ever since the Shantung disput,
at the Paris conferences gave China OF
| the one hand q chance to lay her cas-,
| conspicuously before the world. whill
| Japan stood OF and made plans Il
take advantage Of the diSinteEratlol
OF Russian unity and the Siberian
debacle.
' UuNrisht. 1921 by The Washington Stnr.j-