The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-07-16
j. S. TAKES LEAD
OF NATIONS IN
WORLD POLICY
Diplomatic Triumph Seen by
Hapgood in Disarmament
Plan.
BY NORMAN HAPGOOD.


The promising way In which the
Administration seems to be getting
along with it's foreign relations Is Wis.,
IDLY Increasing the belief that II may
be able successfully TO meet Its mani
fold problems.
IL may be remembered that I'm May
wrote two articles stating that the
whole foreign policy of this country
waited on the outcome OF the meet
ing that was to begin In London on
June 20.
A little later i wrote two more
articles stating that the basis for the
Harding association of nations lay in
the question of the Pacific, and thar
the disarmament question, the Pacifi:
question and the association OF
nations question were inseparabiy
bound up together.
The very fact that the plans for
Far East conference have now been
made public Is sufficient assurance
that they will go through. IL has
been the Administrations policy from
the beginning to obtain the agree.
ment of Great Britain to the essen
tails of the plans before subjecting
them to the risk of public discussion.
Japan Must Agree.
What Great Britain agrees to In
the Joint policies of naval reduction
and Asiatic policy. Japan will OF nee
essity agree to. and the only requisite
to contenting Japan is some arrange
ment that indicates courteous treat
ment. Her alliance with Great Bri-
tain means little now that It has been
publicly made subject to the League
OF Nations.
France and Italy come into the
naval aspect of the proposed confer
ence mainly to avoid jealousy. as they
are and will remain negligible as
naval powers. 1t was particularly de-
sirable to satisfy French pride, as
Great Britain, aided by the United
States. had prevented French jingoes
from driving through their policy of
taking possession of the Rhur valley
and also the policy Of backing the
Polish imperialists in Upper Silesia.
The inclusion Of China. on the side
Of Asiatic policy. fits in with another
prophecy that / made in May, that
the message then on its way from the
Chinese government to the British
government would be backed up by
the British self-governing dominions
and the United States.
Due To the Three HIS"
Whatever ones own opinions,
therefore. 1t is a matter OF mere
record that in calling the conference
President Harding puts into public
form the result of work persistently.
quietly and successfully carried out
for four months.
At the American end this triumph
is the accomplishment of three men.
President Harding, amid conflicting
and bitter elements in his party,
chose his course and stuck to IL.
The diplomatic processes were car
Mr.. Hughes The presentations of
fact about European conditions and
much imaginative thinking on the
subject was furnished by Mr.. Hoov-
err.
The forecast, therefore. that II
those three men were able to pull
together they would triumph over
the discordant elements in the party
has been carried out. Also IT has
been shown that they are fully ca
pable of dealing with French. British
and Japanese diplomats.
The brilliant essayist Baghot has
some interesting passages on the
kind of intelligence TO be expected of
men in high office. He says:
Notable Exceptions.
THE abstract thinking of the
world is never to be expected from
men in high places: the administra-
ton of first rate current transactions
is a most engrossing business, and
those engaged in them are usually
but little inclined to think on points
of theory, even when such theory
most nearly concerns those transac.
tons"
In our time we have had two ad.
ministrations that formed an eXcep-
ton TO Bagehot's rule. Roosevelt's
was one and Wilson's was the other.
In both oftSese Administrations fun
damental theories, right or wrong.
formed a constant ferncnt in Wash.
ington.
In the present Administration the
intelligence is of another kind. Mr..
Hoover is the only one who feels at
home In fsr-reaching theories. The
pervading type of intelligence in this
Administration Is the kind that deals
with specific definitely bounded ques-
tons. without very Droad theories.
In our foreign affairs, up to the
present moment. 1t must be recorded