The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-12-03

Il lance Possible - Chinese ANXIOUS Tor
! Such and Organization 49, Harding for
i Regional Understandings.
i BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
/ Especial Dispatch to The Reformer)
i -rs Copyright 1921.
/ WASHINGTON, Dec. 3.--An eastern
council Of nations now appears as the
i objective of the governments gathered here
to discuss Far Eastern questions. The
same nine powers who are trying to estab-
Il lish a set of principles to guide each other
in their commercial, financial and /polit-
H icaI relations with respect to the Pacific
will be ultimately grouped in an organ
Il ization to see to it that the principles
1 adopted at Washington are fairly applied
1.-THE United States government in its orig
inal invitation endeayored TO lnclnae az
1 nations which might possibly have inter
H ests in the Far East with the exception
| of Russia. When the Russians get a
stable government, they, too, would be IN
vited to join.
4 association of nine or 10 nations for a
precise object-the tranquilization of the
Far East-is in line with President Hard
|ting's theory that an international confer
ence can bring about cooperation not
merely for the moment when the problems
are laid on the table, but subsequently
when disputes arise az TO the meaning or
h Interpretation of principles .....s -,
MIR. Hardings Idea.
H Mr.. Harding's idea is that world peace
can be materially assisted by regional
d Understandings as we'll as by periodic
conferences of all nations. He summoned
h five powers to participate in the limitation
of naval armament because they alone
seemed to be the factors in such prop,
Fl lem. Similarly. the nine powers called
H to discuss the Far East We're the only
ones to whom the Far Eastern settlement
was vital. In the same sense MIR, Harding
has taken occasion to refer to the organ
iization created by the Versailles treaty as
4 1.-The European league of nations The
President has let it be known that he be-
llieves the league should abide because it
i has definite value for Europe. Probably
h if he were asked to define his attitude to-
ward Central and South America he
would say that the Monroe doctrine and
the Pan-Ameriean understandings of the
last generation had developed an associa-
ton of the nations of the western hemis-
phere. = a,
Ends Present Alliance.
E But the greatest thing that may make
up the eastern council Of nations Is the
4 formula it may furnish for the graceful
abrogation of the Anglo-Japanese ALI
ance. The statement of the japanese or
position leader that the Angla-I Japanese
I alliance should be breadened to. include
the United States is similar TO the utter:
anees of Prime Minister Lloyd George
who has been urging a special agreement
of Japan. United States and the British
+ Empire to take care OF Far Eastern mat
ters To this the United States govern
ment cannot agree. High officials have
made that clear.
So that the logical development which
will come at the psychological moment Isl
n grouping of nations in IAN eastern eoun-
ell The compact uniting them would
automatically cancel all previous agree
ments which might be inconsistent with it.
Such an agreement would be the Anglo
japanese alliance and while L. months
notice is required to abrogate the alliance
ii could be terminated immediately if
Japan and Great Britain mutually agreed
to dispense with the l. months notice.
Difficulties on that score are not antici-
pated if satisfactory understanding Is
drawn up by the nine powers gathered
here.
Significant Commission.
There has already been one significant
Indication of the nine powers working to-
ward this objective. Lit was the appoint
ment of a commission to study the ques-
ton of giving up extra Intentional rights.
i All powers have agreed to the principle
of abandoning those rights, but rhe COM
mission must determine exactly when the
Chinese judicial authorities are compe-
tent to protect foreigners and their dis
putes This commission is composed of
representatives of each of the govern
ments in session here. but the commission
will have to report TO a larger body
probably the Eastern council of nations.
Other intricate problems that cannot pos
sibly be settled at Washington and re-
quire further study and examination will
be left to commissions which in turn
would report to conference of powers.
RIeases Chinese.
The Chinese themselves are eager for
such Il permanent conference to be estab-
lished and the proposal has been given
favorable consideration on every side.
| Already its value has been apparent even
in adjusting matters of direct concern TO
two powers such as the Shantung dis
pute. While it is true that China and
/ Japan are conducting the negotiations,
the fact is the United States and Great
Britain are keeping an eye on the negotia-
tions ready to lend a hand and propose
compromises ut the proper moment. The
affairs of the Far East have always been
considered q matter of comment by the
ence of the Anglo-Japanese alliances has
impeded international cooperation along
broad lines for it has associated two of
it difficult for the others to bring about
concerted action. The eastern council
would abolish alliances altogether in the
Pacific.