Norwich bulletin., 1921-12-08
May Dissolve Anglo
Japanese Alliance
A Proposed New -Four Power
Treaty is Being Discussed
as a Substitute.

Washington, Dec. I. (By the A. P.el
A mutual pledge not to go to war over
disputes in the Pacific without cool
ing off period of discussion is the basiS
of the new four-power treaty proposed
as a substitute for the Anglo-J apanese
alliance.
Discussions of the proposal among the
arms delegates have reached well adj
vanced stage although none of the gov
ernments commemorative United States,
Great Britain, Japan and France-has
give nits final approval. suggestion
that the Anglo-J aDanese pact be revoked
has gone to London and Toxic. Posi-
Bile controversies over the Pacific isl
ands alone exclusive of the Hawaiian
group and Yap would come under the
provisions of the new agreement. Yap
is to be the subject of a separate treaty,
negotiations for vs1ich, are nearhl
completion, and Hawaii is to be consiu-
cred for purposes of the agreement as
part of the American mainland.
The problems of China or other por-
| tions of the Asiatic mainland are not to
be touched by the proposed treaty, nor
! will it, contain provisions relating to Pa
I cijc fortifcations OF the naval reduction
program 1t IS possible, however. that
all OF these questions may come stimuli
| taneousy to the point of decision. BY
| the American delegates the project is
regarded as establishing neither an al
lance nor an entente but merely as ap-
| plying to the Pacific islands, the prin-
| ciples Of the thirty odd being peace trea-
! ties to which the United States already
is a narty A public statement setting
forth that position probably will be
made in the near future. by Secretary
Hughes
For the present the authorized Amer
lean spokesmen prefer to say nothing
about their conversations on the subject
which have been proceeding entirely be
hind the curtain of executive sessions,
Apparently the negotiations so far have
been kept within aAverv narrow circle
centering IN the Big Three"-Hughes
/ Balfour and Kato.
An evidence of the optimism witt
which American officials who are in or
theA secret view the general situation II
the arms conference was given today
however by President Harding. who de
cared in pubic address that the nego
tlatiOns promised to succeed beyond gu
fondest hopes" Without making direc
reference to the proposed four mower
greement he predicted that the Wash
ington conference would usher in a ney
day in international smity.
All the outward indications point to
|
, the naval ratio problem, so far as tn
, final decisions Of some Of the foreig1
nations are concerned. No reply fror
J Toxic regarding the naval plan now
expected until the Japanese govern
ment is also ready to make some ex
rressioh on the four mower proposa1.
, is nessibe that in the final analysis tn
questions Of Shantunc and China gen
orally may also become interviewer il
the genera scheme before a specific an
defVite settlement of any of these ele
menta is reached.
Thus it would not surprise close or
servers here if the whole range of cor
treversies Hnder consideration were "a
thered in the end under one blanket ur
derstandfnG. to be translated then int
several formal instruments of agree
ment.
Both Japanese and Chinese rehecte
ortimisnl over the ShantunP negotis
, tons tonight after another meeting !
; which Janan offered to give up the pul
! lie property in the leased territory
Kiaochow. as another step toward NEE
ing the Chinese position. In the con
inittee of the whole of the nine nation
a resolution was adopted during the da
! pledging respect for China's neutra lit
: in future wars, and another restrictir
|
= Chinese soil.
e There is a general feeling that ali
/ these subjects-the Chinese question
= Shantung, the naval ratio and the ne
t cooling off, treaty-may all mo1
4 along concurrently so that none of the
, reaches definite settlement until all a
g ready to be Jumped into a final pr
Il gram of accomplishment.
= Thus far Great Britain alone hi
n given an acceptance in principle" of Il
t new plan. but her delegates ike tho
of Jpaan have cabled home for furth
instructions before going into a mo
defnitive discussion of a treaty drat
D The Japanese and American delegat
are proceeding slowly, apparently tai
n ing into account the special Requirement
V of thir respective governmental syster
t and the French are said to have TAX
e very little part in the conversations
II 1t was at a meeting of the "B
le Three" nearly a week ago that the pr
e ject is understood to have taken su
IF form as to permit of its transmission
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