The Washington herald., 1921-11-09

ytF0hCe ON tDttuttOu OF ornaments.
The third, on "Pe0ee as the Chief Oh
'ecfiUe," 'eiH appear Thursday.
By FRANK IA. SIMONDs.
TN a preceding article / have dis
cussed a few of the political
- obstacles in the pathway of
success in the Washington confer
ence. Today I mean to deal with
one factor which Is of almost
greater importance, namely, the
state Of mind existing in the nations
concerned at the moment the con-
ference opens.
A great deal of harm was done
in Paris by reliance upon the false
assumption that the victorious na-
tions were united by a common ac-
CRptance Of identical principles and
a similar view as TO the application
, thereof. This mistake arose from
the deliberate silencing of every
voice which sought to protest
lagainst this colossal error. The as
Sumption in Paris was that to dis
cgss any unpleasant truth was to
10 violence to the cause at stake.
This mistake ought not to be re-
Peated.
Distrust Great Obstacle.
A. the present moment the great
st obstacle TO success In Wash
ngton Is found in the mutual dis
rust existing between the three
great nations most concerned. and
Extending down through the line TO
Rfl the nations represented. Be-
tween the United States. Great Brit
lain and Japan at the present hour
there is natural lack of con-
AAARaA -.
atod. The American distrust Of
Great Britain rests upon the con-
viction. strongly supported by Brit
ish writer's themselves, that at
Paris the lofty ideals Of Mr.. Wilson
were brought to nothing by the
clever manipulation OF Lloyd
George, assisted by NJ. Clemenceau
There Is a general disposition IN
many quarters to scrutinize British
actions here in Washington with
Utmost care and with the idea that
the British are here seeking ito put
something over" in their own in
tersst. are In fact trying to entangIe
the United States in British policy
TO British profit
Japan EndIessIy Criticized.
In exactly the same way recent
discussions OF Japanese policy have
led to the creation In the United
States of q profound distrust of
Japan, have provoked endless criti-
cism Of the japanese course in the
Far East-criticism which, however
justified in many quarters. has be-
come so universal as to have created
la barrier which must be eliminated
kbefore real progress can be made.
Nor can one mistake the fact that
fthe Japanese feeling toward Great
Britain is one of distrust which
can hardly be exaggerated. The
conduct of Great Britain in recent
months, the unmistakable sympa.
thy of the British people for the
American rather than the Japanese
policy in the Far East, all from
the Japanese point of view seem to
foreshadow IL they do not disclose
the desertion of Japan by her Brit
ish ally.
French Distrust British.
shall not dwell upon the dis
trust felt by the French for the
British, or by the Italians for the
French. 1t is not even necessary
TO call attention to the fact that
the Chinese, not without profound
Justification, distrust every nation
which will be represented at the
conference. The truth Is that the
Washington conference assemblies
in an atmosphere of international
suspicion. distrust and cyEdcism,
and unless this atmosphere can be
cleared we shall get nowhere.
But after all, is this atmosphere
fully warranted in the present in
stance? To begin with British pur-
poses, no one will pretend tnat Brit
ish craftsmanship, British foreign
policy, has often permitted moral
scruples to interfere with the con-
sistent pursuit of national or i'm
periaI self interest But in the
present hour what is British self
interest?
Anxious to Remove Dangers
Unmistakably II is conprehended
irg the effort not alone to remove
the dangers incident to American
Japanese conflict. which would do
incalculabIe harm to Great Britain.
but to eliminate or at the least re-
duce the distrust and the prejudice
existing II the United States and
| directed toward Great Britain.
Nothing in this world would he
so futile OF so fatal as for British
statesmanship at this time to risk
extending American distrust by
seeking through a clever stroke or
skillful manipulation to wiz some
passing advantage from the United
States. There Is no stake involved
in the Washington conference the
complete possession of which would
for a single moment recompense
Great Britain for the ultimate loss
which would result from such
course. II IL Is only because Brit
ish Interest in the last analysis will
be best served by supporting Amer
lean purposes mp to the limit Of
possibility and without any oblique
or concealed objective, 1t seems to
me one must accept British goo0
faith and sincerity as beyond ques-
ton
Nor can one justly estimate the
Japanese situation otherwise. Japar
Is bound in the very nature of
things not alore TO resist, but un-
-