The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-07-13
VIII Try to Curb Japan and China.

4
The same official who, of course. is
| eonVefSant with every phase of our for
elgn policy made it clear that il was per-
tectly useless to talk about disarmament
II the problems of the Far East were not
settled 10 everybody'S satisfaction. He
pointed out that 50 long rs people felt in
secure about developments i'm the Pacific
there would be no inclination to dispense
win naval armament. In other words
when the sources of possible friction and
| war were removed once for all i'm the Pa
| cine there would be much more rapid
] progress toward disarmament This in
| deed IL the answer made by government
| omclalS to the criticism that the diSarma-
ment conference should not have included
a discussion of Far Eastern problems
ana that the tangleS over the Inter
would delay and ObStruet the disarma-
ment movement itself. But the govern
ment takes Just the opposite view--name-
". until The questions pending with
Japan and China and the European and
American nations over the Far East are
out of the way. nobody will make a sin
cere move toward limiting armament
The fact IL the conference called bv Pres
Ident Harding is an endpavOr 10 gchieva
practical results in the field of diploma
cy at the same time that an agreement on,
naval expense is attempted. Heretofore
me mann excuse for armament has been
some spectre of war. The United STATES
government along with the British and
French and Italian governments which |
have interests i'm the Far East now will !
seek to establish a series of common
principles so as to make it impractica- +
bic for Japan or China to get tangled M
in disputes that will involve the powers
across the Pacific. Il
The Problem of Russia.
The problem of Russia niects itself in II
cIdentaIy with a big Interrogation mark II
heretofore in every Far Eastern disyyutea
handled by the great powers whether il
included an expression of opinion on the
open door commercially such as Secre-
tary John HAY elected or whether If
touched questions of territorial integri-
ty, Russia and Germany were always Il
consulted. In fact they were princin1Is
IN the discussion. But Germany i p1,y Il
erless. She has been ordered disoTmed
by the treaty Of Versailles. She is con.
sidered lmpotent so far as jeopardizipg
any body $ interests i'm the Far East. As
Tor Russia, none of the big powers, least
OF all the United States feels that Rms
sian cooperation at this time can be at
tanned. Russia has put herself out of
me IamlIy circle 50 far as having n voice
IN the decisions of the powers is CON
cerned. But Russia will eventually be
bound INST the same as will be Germany
10 subscribe To the general principles that
VIII be evolved in the parley on the Far
faaSteFh questions here next fall Some-I
thing more specific and more bindingl
than John Hays open door policy though
founded on the same ideas of equity and
Justice viii be formulated with all the
soiemnlty of treaty obligation. Pos
Slbly IT will not be a mere exchange of
notes for that process has its diSadvan-i
tage IN the fact that changing adminis-l
tratlons can ignore the action of theirf
predecessors but probably a treaty orI
convention will be negotiated which will
make 1T unnecessary for the British TO
renew their alliance with the Japanese
1t will put all nations on a par and re-
move the sO-called sphere of influence =
as we'll as the special interests which
were back of the Anglo-Japanese ALI
ance.
Regional Understanding.
Such treaty or convention would 'sbe
Z regional understanding" and as such
IS permitted by the covenant of the league E
u nations. While America is not a mem
Der of the league. nevertheless all the :
other powers are bound by the covenant
not to make any treaty inconsistent with
hat document and the making of re
sIonal understanding is wholly in line
With the principles of the covenant. The
)bJect of the regional understanding will