The Washington times., 1921-04-06
RESENTS TALK Of
ENGLAND-U. WAR
Jean Rodes Believes Such a
Conflict Beyond Bounds
of Reason.
BY NEWTON c. PARkE.
International News Service.

PARIS. April 6.-War between
England and the United States is be-
yond the bounds of reason, declares
Jean Rhodes well-known French
writer. Likewise. he says. 1t Is in
conceivable that England should lend
even her sympathy to japan in case
Of war between the Nipponese EN-
pire and America.
Almost simultaneously the lower
chamber of the Japanese Diet and the
American House OF Representatives
have repulsed by strong majorities
proposals to reduce armaments, 4"
writes Rhodes. "Our attention Is thus
drawn to the Pacific, where grave
events seem in preparation.
"The recent German book by Otto
Autenreith. in which he predicted a
great war between the United States
and Great Britain. has attracted much
attention. A great Japanese paper,
the Osaka Mainichi, recently ex-
pressed the same opinion. In France
many people believe. also, that war
between the two Anglo-Saxon nations
is inevitable. One of our best known
members of parliament told me the
other day that war between England
and the United States over the ques-
tion of petroleum is a certainty.
"Assuredly, all the causes, and
above all the perspective OF an ap-
preaching naval supremacy of the
United States should explain the de-
sire which England might have to
defeat such an adversary while she
still has the power. This eventually
appears even more plausible when we
consider that the Japanese-American
argument over California immigra-
tion laws offers England the chance
to act at the most favorable moment.
But in spite of all these appear
ances, such a conflagration. uniting
the English and the Japanese against
the Americans is, for those who know
affairs of the Far East, entirely un-
reasonable. England's interest would
suffer IL the antas onism of the Pa
cific would end in the victory of
America or japan. 1t is certainly
more advantageous for her to let mat
ters stand as they are and where she
can play the role of arbitrator.
"If, indeed. the conflict cannot be
avoided, there is no doubt that a VIC
toTy ny japan WOulu FShS ihHo
far more than IL America won. A
victorious Japan would be in a posi-
tion to exercise her ambition as Glib
orator" of Asia British possessions in
the seas OF the Far East, the Malayan
Straits and even in India would be
menaced.
There are plenty OF other strong
reasons preventing England from sup
porting Japan against the United
States. One Of the most important
of these is the fact that Canada Aus
tralia and New Zealand have taken a
strongly hostile attitude toward Ja-
pan. The English in China, quite
strong numerically, are likewise ami
mated by hatred of the japanese. Be
fore the war citizens ofthe two coun-
tries carried on hot competition in
the valley of Yangtse. There was not
a concession granted one that did not
result in protest to the government
of the other. This rivalry became so
bitter that London diplomats foresaw
the possibility of war in the future
and changed the British naval base
from Honk- Kong to Singapore.
Negotiations are about to begin
for a renewal of the Anglo-Japanese
treaty. There Is little doubt that II
will be renewed. for England will not
neglect this means OF preserving
peace in the Pacific. But the treaty
will not disturb the good relations
between Englapd and the United
States. japan will never succeed in
inducing English armies to march
with hers against the Stars and
Stripes"