Evening star., 1921-11-09
NAVAL ARMS SIMPLE PROBLEM,
JAPANES E AMBASSADOR AYERS
Shidehara Declares Only Three Nations
Need Be Considered at Conference
in Regard to Ships.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass, November o.
Whatever the problems OF the arma-
ment conference, an agreement for
Limitation OF naval armament ought
to be Comparatively simple mat
ter" says Ambassador Shidehara of
Japan, one OF that country's dele
gates, writing in the current issue OF
the Harvard Crimson.
The ambassador bases his statement
on the conclusion that the war left
only three great naval powers. each
none Of the real interests of one
conflicting vitality with the Others"
At the same time the ambassador
takes opportunity to outline Japan s
case at the arms conference. her rela-
tion to China and the far eastern
situation, as we'll as her place in the
world.
He writes:
The Japanese delegation come to
the Washington conference con1dent
that the nations assembled there VIII
achieve a substantial measure OF sue
cess. and that valuable understand,
ines will result, enabling the several
principal nations to live in future
with less suspicion and distrust, and
consequent armament. This is the
least that can be expected. But we
Japanese are hoping that, as Presl-
dent Harding said at Yorktown on
october 10, the time has come when
there must be recognition OF essen
tial cooperation among nations, de-
voted, each of them, in its own pecu-
liar national way, to the common
good. the progress. the advancement
OF all humankind
I'VE Japanese are primarily con-
e. ruySAt a.
tion of naval armament. and it is on
this matter that I speak with confidence.
What agreements can be reached for
the Limitation of land forces is more
difficult for me to estimate. But as
far as the seas are concerned an
lively simple matter for the obvious
reason that there are but three great
naval powers left in the world, and
that each of them belongs to diff
ferent continent separated from the
others by a great ocean, and with
flicting vitality with the others. For
these reasons it seems to me that only
q most arbitrary attitude on the part
Of one or another country can defeat
the main purpose OF the conference,
and none will be arbitrary. for the
peoples as well as the governments
OF all three most earnestly desire
agreement.
No Need for Alarm.
There is an unofficial-I might say
public-American point of view that
any agreement must be contingent
upon a settlement Of far eastern prob
lens. and to some Americans those
problems seem greatly involved and
fraught with possibilities of grave
danger. 1t is hardly within my prov
ince as the representative of another
20 70 -
leans how needless is this alarm. but
as your President has invited us to
an open and frank discussion. and az
the Crimson has left me free to say
what will, I am sure it will not be
taken amlss II point out the fallacy
OF such eontentions as have been
launched IN the United States by the
doubters ana by the comparatively
fsw actual enemies of an understand
inE; , ,s
naval men in every country know
that the great war left the United
Statso proper absolutely unassaiiable
Ne power in the world is in a position
to attack your country without bring.
ing grave distress upon itself. Fol
more than 100 years you have lived
without a hostile foreign soldier
within your borders. and today ne
nation in Europe would dare attach
so. Yet Europe is only 5000 milei
away, while Japan is twice as far.
Scouts Yellow Peril.
"But the baiters of Japan are no,
content with that argument They
declare that Japan could take the Phil.
ippine Islands. In the same category
they would include Hongkong and tht
extensive British possessions in Eas'
Asia, and also French Indo-China and
al N oacin Iva I
Pacific. But, as matter of fact
these various eastern possessions OF
western nations could be considered
by japan a far greater menace to hel
than she is to them. Japan, however
Is confident that no western nation
has any designs upon her independ.
ence.
These facts, though, do not end
the argument against Japan. He,
persistent detractors. in their process
Of 'piling on the agony informed theil
hearers and readers Of the plan Of a
and organize that country's millions
into yellow peril The phrase was firs,
launched by the Kaiser wilhelm. and
was used subsequently in the United
States by his agents in an effort to dis
tract American attention from the wal
in Europe. No one realized more clearly
than the japanese themselves that
such q project is utterly unattain-
able.
I'm the first place. we Japanese
should come in conflict with the sew.
eral European nations that hold
established positions in China. We
should then be required to dominate
control and ultimately organize tht
Chinese. This would be an achieve.
ment such as no country has yet beer
or will ever be able to accomplish
Human nature isn't that way; a sub.
5ect race is generally a greater bur.
den than help in time OF war. ant
Japan is not looking for war. Japar
needs peace, IL willing to pay a prics
for peace, and believes that that price
will be not only morally but profit.
ably paid.
Equal Privileges Desired.
But from China we JAPANESE be.
iieve we have right to ask the privi.
leges OF equal opportunity and the
open door. We are not SO richly en-.
dowed as America with wealth, terri.
tory and raw materials. Here you
with q principal armament of fwelve