Palatka daily news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1919-1994, 1921-10-22
JAPAN IS MUCK
CONCE RKE D OVER
ARMS c D n T 4 B
(By AsSOcinten Praanl

III washington is Irult-
tul topic of discussion with maya
zine writers, and a considerable part
OF the current issue of the Taikwan
'Outlook) is devoted to considera-
tlon OF the subject from various
points of view. One of the articles
IN question comes from the pen of
1otaro Sugimura of the Foreign Of
nee who directs his attention. prin-
clpally to limitation of ornaments
This limitation, he declares, is now
a universal demand, arising not so
much from a desire to tighten finan-
clal burdens as from a fervent wish
to avert the horrors of war. Much
as this is desired, it is extremely
difficult of achievement, not only be-
cause a numerical or a financial scale
Of reduction is not at all easy to as
sess fairly, but rather because it is
almost impossible to fix a standard
OF universal application, and because
II an agreement on standard should
be reached, it would be of no practi-
cal use without some organ by which
the agreement may be enforced.
The world'e first need today, he
says, is an effective instrument to
prevent war or rather to guarantee
peace, because with the establish
ment of peace naturally comes dis
armament. The League of Nations
is good as far as it goes, but it is
far from complete in that it touches
only the material side of the prob
lem.
There is, in Mr.. Sugimura's opin-
ION, no hope of lasting peace until
relations are regulated
by the spirit of justice and law, so
that all disputes between nations
may be settled not by force of arms,
but by an appeal to the law. This
involves moral reconstruction of |
which is still far off and
must necessarily be of slow growth.
Therefore, the world must in the
be satisfied with the next
best thing, and that is according to
the writer, the League of Nations,
which he urges America to join in
preference to her as yet unborn and
untried Association Of Nations.
Though in sympathy with Ameri-
'a's good intentions, Mr.. Sugimura
fails to understand why Far Eastern
problems particularly should be
brought up for discussion. Trouble
IS likely to occur in any part of the
world, Europe or South America,
and yet no consideration is to be
given to that. But putting this on
one side, he says the most important
hing is to explain clearly the exact
between the question CT
and that of the Far East
and the Pacific. 1t stands to reason
hat the subjects to be discussed
must be closely connected with the
plan of effecting a limitation of ar
and they must if necessary
include many so-called accomplished
facts. 1t would be wrong for in
stance, to discriminate between ter
'itorial rights and the rights of
spheres of influence. 1t would be de-
.idely unjust to preserve the former
md abolish the latter. Rather than
hat, all accomplished facts" should
)e recognized.
Reverting to his earlier argument
hat the demand of the times is for
he institution of an international
to ensure the free and I'M
rammelled operation of the open
oor and equal opportunity principle
the world, to promote in
competition without
loodshed, and to enable all to enjoy
nd share the bounties of the earth,
Ir. Sugimura holds that until the
World is ready for the establishment
f such an authority, by a higher
1oral attainment, all that can be
expected of the Washington confer
nee is a "gentlemen's agreement"
n which the main motive power will
e a spirit of self-restraint on the
art of the signatory powers.