Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-12-03

.BEl|EVE JAPAN Will
MODIFY 1O-10-7 RATIO
Some Nippon Delegates De.
s., clare Demand Has Never
Been Made.
SHOULD sEIxD OPPORTUNITY
ENJOYS Declare TO Per Cent Question
Has Not Been Formally Put For
- wnrd. but Formed Substance Of
Arguments.
SHOULD snIkn OPPORTUNITY
ny Wickhan, Stccd,
Editor of the London Times

Editor of the London Times.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 2.--There arc
signs that Japan. will modify her de-
,lnand for Io-10-7 naval ratio. or 10
.7ser cent of American or British capt.
tai ship strength. Indeed. some Japa-
nese delegates explain that the de-
.Lmand has not been made at all. by
Which they apparently mean that Il
has not been put forward formally,
= but has only formed the substance
OF Japanese arguments In all ncgotia-
tons on naval questions
Proceedings Are Watched.
: This method of bargaining is gen
(; orally regarded as a mistake. Fic-
: lions and subleties arc not 10 the
taste of the American public. whose
interest IN the conference is intense.
Though the japanese delegations may
lie playing to n Tokyo gallery, they
would have been well advised not 10
I, forget thai their proceedings are be-
ing watched By much larger gal
icry near at hand. aud that the moral
status Of Japan will not be improved
ia the eyes of the American people
even by Informal presentation of a
claim that may presently be aban-
dcncd. Nor would eventual proof
, that the claim had served az leverage
!, N ether directions fully restore the
. Japanese the esteem they had won
fy their attitude in the earlier phases
of the conference
There are bigger things than bar
gaining Among them is the power
10 understand the size of given
opportunity and So 10 frame a posi-
lion that it may NJ the dimensions
OF the occasion. This power tile Japa-
hcse seemed TO possess. but their
present attitude inspires Il doubt
whether their original appearance of
was more than a
species OF 'make-sce."
want Pacific Nonfortiilcd.
IL the report of their Intentions he
accurate, II may appear when they
slnhouncc their acceptance of the
-'-o-3 ratio that acceptance was con-
7inGent upon conditions in regard to
ne naturalization OF naval bases
N the Pacific. and POSSIBLY upon ar
,AnEements permitting Japan TO re-
7itn the new battleship Mutsu while
*erapping an equivalent tonnage of
'hiuer vessels. The question OF the
5pTttication of naval bases in the
tactic has all along been recognized
rs incidental 10 any agreement for
,ne limitation OF naval ornaments
j would not have been n serious OH
I laclc To an agreement in any case
10y einr" the rctention VI new
.eNaacsc nnttleship must necessarily
.lNo.Na n similar retention Of new
'morican and British warship ton
,arn, vas IL necessary u advance i'm
fAis connection naval claims OBJ
l"uSiN ana ucmOnstrably vniusti-
I'D idpnncsc ways OF thought may
"t past finding out, but To uuSophis-
i'cat>'i minds ii would seem that. in
m &tnospherc like that surrounding
lac Washington conference. simple
ttrathtorward methods would have
hecn best.
shmntnn; Question Progresses.
Upon the Shantunr question. which
'lis sunk 10 a Serondary position
nuriS tho tussci over the naval
ratio, some progress has been made
though, IL would appear, not with
out III" necessity OF reminding sun
dry Chinese delegates that their
tactics are also the reverse Of help
iul. Uncertainty as TO the rcprescn-
tativc character OF tho Chinese dele
cation dsqualitics some Of their
spoEcsmcn FOR the assumption Of
hcrcic--or y, dant!c-postures II is
true that their position IS comrli
Gated. on the one hlNd they are cx-
posed to noisy pEe IS r'c from
Chinese students, who ucslescd the
delegation headquarters on Thurs
day afternoon, protesting against di-
rect negotiations between Janan and
China; ana ola the other their sense
OF reality sometimes needs stimuIa-
tton IN the actual proceedings Of the
conference, Nevertheless the pros
pect OF reaching through the confer
ence basis for the Improvement OF
the situation in China is now better
than II hitherto has been, and when
Ss-the naval tA"sle is over the Chinese
outlook may also be clearer
owing 20 the delay caused by 1apa-
nese tactics the next plenary sitting
cannot be held before tho middle
OF next week. ! adhere to NV cs,i-
mate that, when it is held, il viii,
prove at least as momcntous as the
-frst sitting. II may indeed be the
climax Of the conference. Amon,,
other encouraging announcements
the chairman may hc able to fore
shadow the painless demise OF tho
Hnglo-Japancsc alliance. or the
translation Of its somewhat at,cnu.
ntcd soul TO It higher plane of four
Dimensions. The prospects OF the
conference. therefore, remain de-
cidedly good, despite the regret tina,
Japan should have thought IL ncccs-
eary 10 be merely tactical. instead Of
adhering 90 lottier principles o: no.
lilical etratcey.
Copyright, 1921. by United Newsl
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