Evening star., 1921-11-29
MUST HER
OF EMPIRE.
Lloyd Georges Agility Only
Hand Able to Reconcile
Many Views.
HAMPER NEAR EAST STAND
London Wants q. s. in Toxic A.
lance; Canada Opposes It, With
Australia and New. Zealand.
HAMPER NEAR EAST STAND
BY PAUL SCOTT M0wRER.

BY PAUL SCOTT MOwRER.
No participant in the present cor
ference is faced by such perpleJsg
difficulties as is Great Britain. NPt
only is its policy in the negotiations
now under way still obscure, but: II
seems actually to be pulling at cross
purposes in certain respects. France.
Italy, the United States and Japan
have specifically located interests.
which. for a definite purpose. can pc
looked at in an isolated way. The
trouble with Britain is that Its inter-
ests, in the most literal sense, are
world wide, and what suits II In one
part Of the globe may fall entirely 20
suit ii in another part. The result -
a series Of dilemmas which only the
amazing diplomatic agility Of a Lloyd
George have hitherto been able 70
reconcile and then only in the most
day-to day manner. go. -.
Ireland Serious Problem. -
In seeking to frame policy OF
empire. in fundamental question
like that of naval armaments, tae
London government has to think net
alone Of the dominions and their sex
Asia, the Caribbean, the MedfteHa-
mean, China trade and South American
trade. The present troubles In Ire
land are one serious problem. But
the present troubles in India ana
equally serious. All have to be cop-
sidered. For years Downing street
has been pro-Japanese, while most
British residents in the far east have
been anti-Japanese. The perplexing
situation is revealed even more are.
matically in Connection with the An-
glo-Japanese alliance. London Ia
vors the alliance. but would like TO
extend 1t to include the United states.
Canada. which, so long as II Is friepa-
ly with the United States. is proteet-
than by the British navy, is againft
the alliance x
Favored and Opposed. -
The Indian government favors the
alliance, for racial reasops. Austra.
liza and New Zealand are anti-JaH-
anese, but fear Japan, and do net
want the alliance abrogated In way
for South Africa, it has deyeloned
very friendly trade relations with Ja-
pan since the war. II wants to avoS4
trouble, and. in general. 1t fayors de-
ing away with all specific alliances,
as being rendered obsolete oy tne
league of nations. y
The confusion of present British
policy can be brought out even more
clearly in the form of number OF
questions bearing on the Washington
conference:
/. Is the Anglo-Japanese alliance to
be abrogated. and II SO. in what con-
ditions? Nobody-not even the Brit
, ish themselves-seems to know.
2. Where does Britain stand in the
CHINA question? Does it incline rather
toward the Japanese view or toward
the American?
Hughes naval Limitation plan? As
Pacific power; II seems to favor tns
hesitates. and wants to know Whist
France and Italy are going to. -
about their navies?
4. What about submarines? AZ
Pacific power: it may be ,esn.sn more Or
bower, it wants to be sure that no
craft Of this kind can operate again
around the British Isles, as they did
in the last war.
s. Airplanes? In the Pacific this
riers, and is easily limited. But In
Europe this is a matter Of land armA.
ment also,- and even of commercaal
aviation. Britain must envisage the
problem from both viewpoints.
6. Naval bases? II the Pacfnc alone
to side with Japan in favor of limit
ing such bases. But in other parts
of the world they are one OF the
foundation stones of British seq
power, and Britain would doubtieeH
have to oppose the extension OF such
Limitation beyond the Pacific.
Bound Up with Armies. 1t
Z. Finally. does Britain. or does II
not, consider that the question -
land ornaments is intimately bouno
up with that of naval armamentse
In the Pacific, no-not SO far rs Britain
is concerned, and Mr.. Balfour said a.
much in open conference. But in
Europe, yes - and. Lord Curson's
"warning" to France is the counter
part of the Balfour declaration. m
Europe it is apparently. by no means
with equanfmity that Britain con-
templates scrapping half its navy.
while France keeps it's large and ef-
fcient army unimpaired.
The task of reconciling oppooltss
which at present falls upon the
shoulders of British statesmen would
seem to be far from q grateful, one,
and the British delegates at WASH
ineton are perhaps entitled to m
extra measure Of sympathy from their
foreign colleagues.
Copyright, 192l.l -