The New York herald., 1921-09-29
NATIONS WATCHING
AMERICA AND JAPAN
M,lomatists at Geneva
Look for Struggle at
Conference.
BLESSING BY LEAGUE
Nipponese Start Spreading
Propaganda Books in
Assembly.
BLESSING BY LEAGUE

Special Cable 10 -fIn NEW IoRK HERALD.
COPYRIGHT, 1921, % TIE NEW YosK HERALD.
GENEVA, Sept. 2s.-The Washington
conference for the limitaio of arraa-
Dent will have the benediction OF the
League of Nations under resolution
proposed by Lord Robert Cecil to-day
and unanimously passed by the Dis
armament Commission.
While this resolution Is really ex-
pressive of a sincere desire on tho
part of most nations represented at
Geneva to see tangible results come
from Washington on this problem over
which the league worked In vain. 1t IS
an interesting fact that all the talk
heard at the Geneva meeting is to the
effect that disarmament is now re-
garded in European diplomatic circles
as an entirely secondary aim of the
Washington meeting.
Instead of being primarily for dis
armament the conference is seen by
the majority of delegates attending
the League Of Nations Assembly as a
battle between the United States and
Japan over their respective relations
10 China and the Far East. Tnis is
almost the only phase of the confer
ence that is being talked about when
ever diplomatists discuss the prospec-
tive meeting at Washington.
Coincidently. however. the japanese
delegation here has addressed to every
Tn
pans right to existence. an article by
George Bronson Rea. and the other on
the progress of liberal institutions In
Japan by NJ. Miyaoka. former charge
d'affaires at washington.
This is the first japanese propaganda
attempt here and If can be regarded as
deeply significant.
II is evident that a great misconcep-
tion exists in some capitals concerning
American motives in bringing up some
Ds the questions listed In that part of
the Washington agenda touching on the
Pacific. Much elucidation will be neces-
sary il these are TO be properly UNDER
stood. The tendency in some quarters
seems to be to ascribe them to America 8
desire to curb Japan commercially as a
dangerous rival rather than because OF
y
door and protect nations like China.
Senator Georges Reynafa, French
member of the Disarmament Commis-
sion. said to-day:
'"The Washington conference is as
Stunning more Importance for France be-
cause France, not Great Britain, can be
an arbiter in the Pacific question
This is unquestionably frances desire.
but many of the shrewd diplonatists
gathered here to watch the league leave
France largely out of the Pacific dis
cussion and see Great Britain as the ar
bitter between America and Japan. Some
even 20 so far as to criticise American
Diplomacy in creating a situation where
in they see Great Britain holding this
role.
Because European diplomacy now sees
the Washington conference only as a big
battle between rival Powers as IL once
saw all conferences as a struggle be-
tween Germany and Great Britain, there
is more and more SOOTHING at the idea
that 1t will produce any definite disar-
mament measure. naval or otherwise.
The Disarmament Commission decided
to ask experts 10 consider the propriety
OF requesting the League Assembly to
make public all researches on poison
gas, Lord Robert Cecil contending that
this might stop its use. II. A. L. Fisher
OF Great Britain ridiculed this, saying
he feared poison gas had come to stay,
though its use might be curtailed. The
Japanese representative did not vote on
the resolution. Another resolution pre-
sented asks the nations to stimulate
disarmament propaganda.