Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-11-01
FOREIGN ENJOYS
To ARMS MEETING
SKEPT|CAL OF It
Delegates en- Route to WASH
ington Are Prepared TO
Drive Sharp Bargains-Do
Not Trust America
BY ROBERT T. SMALL
tLeased Wire Service TO The Journal.)
Copyright, 1921

tCCPS IlSlIts ASSL
WASHINGTON. Oct. 31.-Early
arrivals in Washington in connection
with the conference for the linlita-
ton of ornaments are bringing with
them an atmosphere of old world
skepticism.
They are bringing with them also
what might be termed a spirit OF
indulgent tolerance toward the
United States and it's ideas.
They say they are frankly puzzled
by the moves of the Washington
government and they do not know
yet just what Washington will have
to offer as the building spirit in the
conference.
The early visitors 70 Washington,
both from Europe and from the
Orient, bluntly state that the official
delegations now on the Atlantic and
Pacific speeding toward American
shores. are coming to Washington
devoid Of any grand views Of ideal
ism. They are coming prepared to
guard their own national interests
with jealous care; they are coming
to bargain in the hard manner of
practical men and trained diplomats.
No one of the foreign nations will
make a. move until America lays her
hand face up on the table. Conf
IDENTIFY believing that they are right
and that the other nations will be,
forced to follow them, the American
commissioners are prepared to do
this. They fully appreciate that the
attitude Of the foreign delegations
will be expressed tersely: Here we
are; what is it you would have Of
us?"
The American point of view is
that this country is asking nothing
at the conference but a high minded
cooperation for the furtherance of
the peace Of the world has failed to
impress foreigners because Of the
fact that Far Eastern and Pacific
problems the foreign problems
which vitality concern the United
been included in the
scope of the parley.
The impression has gone abroad
that America is asking a good deal
OF the conference, and naturally
there has come the query as to
what we are willing to give in return.
America, it is pointed out, for in,
stance, is asking Great Britain to-
cancel and denounce her treaty 81 al:
lance with Japan. There has been
plain, if unofficial intimation from
that this Is so. The
United States virtually takes the Pc.
sition that if this treaty is not
the conference will be a
failure from the start.
Japanese Treaty
France and Italy have no partlcu-
lar interest in the Anglo Japanese
alliance, Belgium and Holland view
it with a friendly rather than an I'M
eye, for Japan. with Brit
tain's backing in affairs information
al, does not view with alarm the
Dutch and Belgium possessions In
the Pacific ~
Japan is, reluctant to give up her
treaty with Great Britain. She sent
her heir to the imperial throne to
England the past summer to give
eclat to the negotiations for the re.
neWal of that neutrality-suspicious.
which have been postponed year,
while the treaty remains in full
force and effect. Japan's pride will
be hurt if Great Britain deserts her
at the Washington conference. ia
pan would have great i'll will toward
France and Italy If those two coun-
tries should turn their faces against
her and array themselves openly
with the United States on matters
the Pacific and the east.
Therefore the Washington confer
ence insofar as the Far Eastern and
Pacific problems are concerned resolV-
es itself into this: In any show down"
with Japan, the United States must
have the support of Great Britain.
France and Italy. To vote with the
United States and against Japan
these three nations would have to
turn down a loyal ally in the World
war, an ally who was in the fight
from the start and who did what was
asked of her regardless Of the fact,
that as Lord Northcliffe said q few
days ago, she was we'll paid for all
she essayed. Is il reasonable to sup.
pose Great Britain will repudiate her
treaty with Japan or that France
and Italy will turn their backs upon
this frinedly nation which menaces
them in no respect, unless and until
they have some assurance of a Quld
pro quo from the United States.
These are the questions our early
visitors already are asking in Wash
ington and they are recognized as
but the fOreruDaers Of more embar-
rasslng questions which are to come
soon after the conference gets start
ed.
1t is becoming more and more ap
parent every day that the discus
sicns within the conference will be
of such a delicate nature as to make
public sessions virtually impossible.
There will. of course. be some pub
lie sessions and probably a fine show
OF publicity. They may not be the
closed doors Of the council chambers.
but they will be the closed doors
of embassy cloisters and sequestered
after dinner retreats.
The five great powers attending
the Washington conference >will be
the United States, Japan, Great Brit
ain, France and Italy. All Of these
powers, it must be remembered, are
members of the council of the
League of Nations-all except the
United States.
Ex-President Wilson