The Alaska daily empire., 1921-09-07
JAPAN'S suspicious.

few judicous words from Washington
would do a great deal to dispe japanese
msgivings to the disarmament conference.
The Administration is primarily responsible
for these doubts and suspicious and it ought
to lose time in removing them.
When Mr. Harding brought in the Pacific
and Far Eastern questions he perverted the
conference from discussion of the limita
ton of armament to discussion of Japans
future status as a great power. Japan has
naturally taken alarm. No other nation has
been asked to submit its whole foreign policy
to the scrutiny of this conference. and the
japanese cannot be blamed if they dis
trustful and hesitant, particularly in view of
the inspired dispatches from Washington to
the effect that the Harding Administration
intends to insist a settlement of these
Pacific and Far Eastern questions as a
dtion to any agreement about the limitation
of armament.
The position of the Japanese Government
is the more delicate by reason of the public
hostility of the British dominions to the
AnglO-Japanese alliance. and if many Jap
anese honestly believe that their country is
threatened with isolation it is more than,
many Americans would think in similar cir
lcumstances. ... VIZ
This is the time for the Harding Admin
istration to clear .up any misundersta ndng
that may exist In Toxic, provided, of course,
the Administrations ! is seriously concerned
about reaching an agreement in respect to
armament and saving the nations from the
bankruptcy toward which their excessive
military expenditures driving them. No
conference can succeed except on basis of
goodwill and confidence. Nothing but mis-
chief can result IL any of the five nations
concerned should enter into a conference on
the defensive, believing that it's Legitimate
national interests and it's national welfare
were menaced by combination of the other
powers. tit ttf4
Japan has quite as good reason to distrust
American motives have to distrust
Japanese motives. The United States is far
richer than Japan, far popuous and
far more powerful. OF all the nations in
vited to the conference, Japan is the weak
est In resources and in the most difficult
position economically. What the situation
requires is something in the way of
ances to Japan that the United States is not
unmindful OF her position and regards her
problems at least sympathetically. Mr..
Hughes could easily find opportunity to
say as much, and to say it in words that
would make 1t much easier for the Japanese
Government to give its whole-hearted co-op--
'eratiOn to the conference.
1t is idle to say that there is no basis for
Japanese suspicion. The fact that suspicion
exists is enough to warrant immediate action
to dispel 1t. This is not the time for cold
and formal diplomatic ceremony in respect to
ing that the Harding Administration sin
cerely desires to bring about the Limitation
OF armament. Unless Washington Is will
ing to act at once in spirit OF genuine
cancellation toward perturbed Japan, there
Is grave danger that the diSarmament con-
ference will bring the relations between the
united States and Japan to a crisis and do
more hard than goOd-(New York World
why should Japan dstrust the United States
particular? What has this country done to
lte that sne desired any special rights or privilei
ne orient! Where is there scintla OF evider
the united states has desired to extend her
n In the slightest extent in the Orient?
What assurance could President Harding ri
an that would ADD particle of weight to ever
have occurred as evidence of the good intentio
his country?
1t is difficult to conceive what the World is dri
at. unless it be that 1t wants President Hardi
assure japan that would have no obiecti
hat country should extend her domain over Ma
ria and parts of China and Eastern Siberia. TIL
e is a disposition on the part of very importa
'ol OF japanese statesmen to do this there is
BIT Does the World want Presiden, Harding
re Japan that this country would not object to
mpt to carry out such program? II that is VIII
World desires then President Harding's silen
etter representative of American thought and a
de in the Orient than the World is.
The attitude of the United States toward 4
mt is clear. 1t has not changed for a half CO
or more. II was clearly presented by Secreta
and he but amplifed the position taken
lrd and Blaine, position from which Amerl
never receded.
hose japanese statesmen who assume to mistrl
United States are being answered by other ia
3 statesmen. One OF the greatest of these b
ltly said that japan would have nothing to fe
result OF the Washington conference II 81
but go to 1t with clean hands Let Jap;
i