Evening star., 1921-10-17
Editorial Digest
Dominion influence at the Confer.

ence.
Representation Of the British do
minions at the armaments conference
is heartily indorsed and welcomed by
the American press. The feeling here
| seems to be that 1t is decidedly to
the advantage Of the United States
! to have Australia and Canada d.
rectly represented by spokesmen OF
their own, because, since their inter-
ests In far eastern affairs SO closely
coincide with ours, the American po-
sition will be materially Strengthened
by their support, and the possibility
lof an Anglo-Japanese coalition in the
far eastern discussion correspondents
ly lessened.
pendent democratic) finds mo excuse
for the statement Of Premier Hughes
| that the United States has excluded
| the dominions." since 1t was impos-
sible for the United States to extend
an invitation" even though 1T was
minions would be included in the
British delegation. The misunder-
standing arose, the Charleston News
and Courier (democratic) thinks.
simply from this governments strict
Observance Of diplomatic matt prGpriss,i,sss ,S st,s
ish government" While It would
i have been entirely proper for the do.
minions to protest to London against
| the threatened misrepresentation,
which the Sioux City Journal lrepuo.
DONE" it was manifestly impossible
| for Washington to make the sugges-
tion without giving offense and es-
| tablishing precedent dangerous TO
diplomatic usage"
Our government will give the do
minion representatives an especially
warm welcome" the Pittsburgh
| Chronicle Telegraph (republican) as
serts. thus "effectualy refuting the
absurd impression that Washing
| ton preferred not to have them present"
The relative number OF the American
and the British delegates is beside
the point, the paper says, further, be-
| cause. while cit is true that the United
| States made first announcement, OF
had mo intention OF setting nu-
merical precedent" and each nation
! Is free to send as few or as many
delegates as it likes"
mo single development since the
invitation to the conference was is
sued" in the opinion Of the Illinois
State Journal (Springfield, republican,
equals 'in far-reaching Importance
the announcement that the dominions
will be represented on an equal nsd. 1901,
and Australia belong to that part OF
the world to which the center Of in
! ternational gravity In shifting, OBJ
serves the New York Tribune (repuo.
licaD. They sense he,ss the difheuit,es thsu es
home difficulties, and they will help
greatly to promote settlement OF
Pacific problems which will respond
to western and far eastern rather
| than to European needs" The inter- @
| tation Of ornaments and settlement
Of Pacific problems. the Chicago
Tribune dndependent republican, be-
lieves, is vital to the success OF the
couraging- to learn that they will
have a voice" Australia particularly.
| the Tribune points out, is vitality con-
| cerned in the outcome OF the far east
ern conference, because, with q rev
million white persons living within a
weeks journey by sea from thou
| sand million Asiatics who seek outlet
| for their vastly overcrowded popula-
tions.' that portion Of the empire Is
! "in no little peril"
! the interests of the British dominions
| In the Pacific settlement are proper,
| tionally as great as our own ana
are identical with our own. the Kansas
City Times dndependent) believes that
! their support at the Washington con-
! ference will be behind this govern
ment." because Americas far eastern
| policy is a continental policy and has
! Canada behind it, 1t Is Pacific policy
| and has Australia and New Zealand be-
hind it,; therefore it would not be
| Surprising. under the circumstances.
if in the end it were found to have
the British government behind it."
Indeed. as the Burlington (Vtl Free
Press independently views it. ''it will
be a difficult matter for the Lloyd
George government to take any posi-
ton in the Washington conference
relative to Japan and China which does
British dominions as we'll as Of the
United States; hence 1.-THE presence
of the representatives" Of these col
onies "cannot fail to strengthen the
hands Of the United States in dealing
effectively with the situation in the far
! east"