Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-07-15
Far East Pdrley
an Assured Fact
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The fait accompll has tremendous CON-
pailsion. There Is to be conference
on the Pacific in which all the other
Kreat powers will join. Can japan
stay out? II she does, and the other
four powers agree on policies respecting
the Far East OF which she does not
approve. she has not only isolated her.
self automatically but she has arrayed
herself in opposition to four great CO.
operating powers.
The dangers Of staying out are too
great. Only II she were twice as power
f,il as she is could she afford to put
herself in this position.
The Administration here is aware Of
her difficulties and is moving steadily
to put her under compulsion to abandon
the ground she gained during the war
and to treat with the other Powers re-
garding Asia on a basis of equality With
Them and not as a Power possessir &
special interests on the continent be-
cause Of contiguity. to borrow the ideas
Of the Lansing Ishii agreement.
/, Plan Equality in Asia
One OF the objects of this conference
leia and replace 1t with equality of op-
portunity there for all. One step in
ending Japan's special position in Asia
10 to end the Anglo japanese alliance.
The diplomacy moving to that pur-
pose consisted Of an intimation to Eng
land that this country did not wish TO
see the Anglo japanese alliance re-
newed and then conformation of
Japan with a proposal to substitute for
fla conference of all powers concerned
which should reach an agreement on
the problems of the Pacific.
The issuing of the formal invitations
ends the preliminary move to put Japan
ihfo q position where she could not
avoid reopenins Pacific questions, which
she preferred to regard as settled by
the great war.
But getting Japan into a Pacific con
ference may turn out 70 be an empty
victory unless this Government is in
full agreement with England in regard
10 the Pacific. Mr.. Hughes Is no more
sure of a ii tory in the Washington
conference than was Mr.. Wilson Of one
In the Paris conference.
Lloyd George a Middle Man
II Lloyd George had CO. operated fully
with Wilson at Paris such a peace would
have resulted there as Mr.. Wilson
went abroad TO obtain. But LLOYD
George acted as a middle man seeking
compromises between Wilson and
Clemenceau, now on one side. now or
the other. and always bearing in mind
his own specia' aims and objects as Pre-
mier Of England.
is there any reason to suppose he will
play any different role this time? In
at the preliminary maneuvers of the
present he has been the middleman
holding out to Japan some hope of a
renewal alliance and to the | nited
States some hope that the alliance would
be renewed, and in the end double
crossing Japan by contributing TO a
conference which by its very convening
ends her special position in the East
dust as in the Paris conference. Eng.
land had special reasons desiring the
friendship Of France, TO In the Far
Eastern conference England has special
reasons for desiring the friendship Of
Japan. The existence of this attitude
Is plainly enough indicated in the re-
luctance Of England TO end the Japa-
nese alliance. Thus in the conference
Japan will have one power which has a
certain tenderness for her.
Also there is France. France pre-
tends to political position on the con-
tinent OF Europe somewhat similar to
the political position Japan arrogates to
herself in Asia. There is a certain cor
respondence between the two powers,
They may be drawn together, as they
were in fact, during the cables and Yap
conferences.
Thus. little as she likes the conference
on the Pacific, Japan will be stronger
in 1t than out of It. HE statesmen may
be able to do in it, playing one power
against the other, what Clemenceau did
ct Paris.