The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-12-04

of man without eliciting much Gym
ical comment. l believe In the one
ness nf humanity, and l hold that
so long as this great truth is
ignored. so long nations. like in
dividuals. will continue to be sell
fish and seek to profit themselves az
the expense of weaker neighbors.
From one point of view. history is
one long, unbroken record of the
spolistion of weak peoples by
strong neichbors, and this policy of
the jungle will continue to influence
action between nations as long as
tie rulers of the world do not out
grow ideas which bind them to the
Teriod in human evolution when
the club was the rule of right and
Justice.
believe, however. that tho same
moral forces which have led to the
substitution Of the rule of law for
the rule Of the club in disputes be-
tween individuals are now at work
10 bring about a similar substitution
III the settlement of disputes be-
tween nations.
Says Good Must Follow.
These forces have now and then
influenced action in European his
tory But in recent years they have
found their most notable expression
IN The Hague tribunal and in the
league of nations. When private
individuals quarrel. resort is had to
court of law. Why should not ma
tions do the same And IL is for
similar reason that I welcome the
conference at Washington which
President Harding summoned.
If il succeeds. most powerful
in, q T.
Ually eliminating war as a method
Of settling international disputes
Will be registered. And even if
nothing tangible comes out Of the
deliberations of the conference. it is
rJain to set mems minds thinking
in a sense opposed to the continu-
snCe Of the institution of war. In
any view, il seems to me that it will
do good.
In the interests Of the peace Of
the world ] would suggest that the
conference should take UP the uucs-
ton Of extending the Monroe doc
trtuc" to the Pacific Ocean and all
the lands inside and bordering on IL.
Recalls Hays Words
Soon after Admiral Dewey had
captured the Philippine Islands and
II was evident that they would be-
come American territory. | suggest
Ell to John Hay and other American
statesmen that the extension Of the
Monroe doctrine to the Pacific would
l." necessary in order to secure tho
safety of the islands. My proposal,
however. was then deemed prema-
furC. The time. I think. has now
come when the question should be
seriously considered.
II you look at the map. it will be
kccn that lands belonging to differ
eut nations lie within the Pacific.
and that great countries border its
waters This geographical fact may
be said To bind all these lands ano
countries in common interest in
tho maintenance Of the existing
status quo in the sense that the
present national distribution of ter
ritory shall he preserved.
This is particularly important in
the case of China. And. therefore.
the wise words of the fsr-sighted
John Hay are of supreme interest
in this connection. The world 5
Deace," Americas great Secretary of
state observed rests with China,
and whoever understands China So
cialIy, politically. economically. re-
HEiously holds the key to the
worlds politics for the next five
centuries"
Chinese Question Important
On this view ! suggest that the
success or failure of the Washing
ton conference depends on the
manner in which the Chinese ques-
tiun will be handled. II the dele
gates of the participating powers
attend il with open minds and re-
solve to consider all questions In
fair and dispassionate spirit in
order that war may be eventually
eliminated and peace maintained
there is the probability of the OBJ
iects of the conference being real
ICED.
If. however, the delegates bring
20 the work of the conference
minds full of prejudices and bent
Con securing advantages for their
connective countries regardless OF
The rights and interests Of others,
il is to be feared that the great
cancellations of the conference viii
not be realized.
Limitation of space does not per-
mir me to trace the history of the
great revolution which led to the
overthrow of the Manchu dynasty
and the establishment of the Chi
nese republic in 1911. But ii
should be remembered that, since
the establishment of the republic
china has been governed by anti
nuatsd, conservative officials and
rnIlitarists, who, in consequence
have brought her to the existing
deplorable condition
Reaction aries Hold Power.
To say, as IL has been alleged
that China is not At to be a re-
nublic and that she lacks men with
the necessary qualifications To
run" the government in republi.
can way. is a gross libel and a
great insult to the Chinese people
Tbe plain fact is that the powers
of government have been in the
hands OF the reactionaries.
! The men who have founded the
chinese republic and those who be-
tieye in IL as an instrument for the
modernization of China, have never
I,een afforded an opportunity OF
governing China. This is a capdi-
nal fact to be borne in mind.
This government, under the en-
Hshtened leadership of DR.. Sun
Yat-sen, who Is the originator OF
the Chinese republic, and support
ed by his colleagues, who are all
progressive and experienced men
has been temporarily established
at Canton for the military COM
rnanders; teachers go for months
without their salaries for the pur-
nose of working for the recovery of
the powers OF government from
% restoration of