Omaha daily bee., 1921-08-23
Step ToWard The Hague.
Washington Conference May But
Lead to the international Court
(From the Boston Transcript.)

| called, that has preceded and been provoked by
the proposal for conference at Washington
we have yet 10 see any tentative program pre-
sented that would provide for a reduction ir
armaments afeld or afoat by the six power:
concerned. AS long as the Anglo Japanese
alliance remains intact the United States must
consider the combined fleets of those two pow
ers in the organization of any American system
| of national defense. That alliance was formed
| originally with Germany in view; it can only be
continued with the United States in view. Nc
exemption clauses have been or will be framed
| that will alter the fact that in the event OF war
between the United States and Japan, Britain
as a partner of the Anglo Japanese alliance
will be morally obligated to give aid and sue
cor, however indirectly, to her ally. The
Japanese would be foolish to support the al
lance upon any other theory; the British know
that-hence the eagerness of the British col
onies washed by the Pacific to denounce the
Anglo-Japanese treaty without delay.
AS long as France is left alone and unpro-
tected by any alliance against Germany is it
reasonable to expect that the French people
will voluntarily reduce their land forces and
leave the Germans free to work their will and
their way back to power via Russia? If the
United States were willing to guaranty "the
territorial integrity and political independence"
of the French republic at all times and against
ments might become a practical proposition.
But it was the unwillingness to do that, among
other old world chores, that was in part respon-
sible for the cs-Atlantic reputation of "the evil
thing with holy name" Is it conceivable that
the American people are SO soon willing to eat
their words and reverse their verdict OF Novem-
Der last?
AS long as Russia remains in chaotic con-
dtion the victim of bolshevist rule, is it rea-
sonable to expect that the outside world will
be willing to blind its eyes to the consequences
that might ensue if the armies of Lenine and
Trotsky were the only land forces of large size
left on the globe These questions are asked
not with view to retarding the work OF the
coming conference but rather in the hope that
the obstacles that stand in the way Of immediate
curtailnent of ornaments aheld ahoat may
be clearly seen. Otherwise the powers will not
know how to go about eliminating them. If the
United States were willing to permit Japan to
police the Pacific and Britain the Atlantic and
to remain faithful to all the entangling political
obligations that such dependence upon the
Anglo Japanese alliance would involve, the cur
tailment of the American navy to small po-
lice force just large enough to keep the peace
in the Caribbean might be accomplished There
are among US a few who would delight in such
an arrangement; but the few are a very small
minority of the great American family and they
would just as willingly see the United States
d
Great Britain and Japan.
The argument in favor of such an alliance
is chiefly economic; it would cut the cost of
our national defense but the reduction would
be paralleled by reduction in American pres
tige on the seven seas. We should lose in
honor, freedom of action trade and influence
far more than we could hope to save on arma
ments. Instead of taking orders from Germany
we should be taking orders from the Anglo
Japanese alliance. No doubt our British and
Japanese friends would be better masters to
serve under than the Germans; but in granting
that have we made out case in favor Of turn
ing over "the freedom of the seas" and the
honor Of the Stars and Stripes to the exclusive
keeping of the Anglo Japanese navy?
1t is better to begin now to face some OF
the hard facts that will force themselves into
the Washington conference than to raise our
hopes too high and suffer disusionment later.
A better understanding concerning troublesome
questions now pending in the Pacific will un-
doubtedly ease the strain in that theater of pos
sible war; such an understanding might we'll
lead to an attempt on the part of the six pow
ers soon to meet at Washington to set about
the codiheation of international law; that begun,
they might then agree upon the terms OF call
to be issued by all the powers sgnatory to The
Hague Society of All Nations for the third in
ternational conference at The Hague which
could easily meet next year. Out of that con-
ference there is ground for hoping might come
the creation OF permanent high court of in
ternational justice, which would have jurisdic-
ton over all justicible cases arising between
the signatories; the creation Of anciliary ma
chinery for adjusting disputes before they
reached the stage of litigation; and even an
agreement that the signatory that refused to
submit justiciable case to the high court, or
to abide by the decision of the high court in
such case, automatically outlawed itself from
the company of every other signatory.
In the wake of such a harvest in the field
of international relations would come reduc-
ton of the causes that lead to war and there
fore reduction of ornaments with which wars
are fought and by which causes are defended.
If the Washington conference turns out to be
only preliminary to the third international
conference at The Hague it will have been we'll
worth while. That it can do very much more
in the direction of actual curtailment of arma-
ments without involving free and independent
America in those "entangling alliances" for
which the American people have no stomach,
appears to us at this writing extremely doubtful.