Pueblo chieftain., 1921-11-24
THE ANGl0-JAPANESE ALLIANCE

to her Asiaiic empire. With Russia a
great imperialisuc power, Great
Britain really needed strong Ash
attic ally. With Russia out of the game
of empire. she does not need such an
ally. Doubtless Japan IS still useful to
her by doing her naval police work in
Asiatic waters. but II has been an
nounced that Great Britain will have
an Asiatic fleet Of her own In the
future. so this work Is evidently no
longer to be entrusted to Japan.
Moreover. Japan, II is stated In
many quarters. has steadily injured
British prestige In China. for the
Chinese have no confidence In any
power allied with Japan
What. then. Is tho purpose In Asia
that Japan and England still .have in
common2 One weli-iufornacd observer
says that 1t Is a purpose which neither
OF them can afford to state in public.
and which certainly will never be
mentioned at the conference. That
common purpose is to suppress the
rise OF democratic ideals in Asia
Japan is ruled by an oligarchy. Its
constitution and ITS pariiApent are
republican spirit and class conscious
ness are menace to the ruling
oligarchy. which seeks to suppress
both. Likewise the present Japanese
course in China would be largely
thwarted II China could set up u sue
.he same is true OF Manchuriz and 81
pcria.
BRITAIN IN ASIA
Great Britain rules over many MIL
lions of people in Asia. and among
all of them the republican ideal is
growinN. India. for example. Is on the
verge OF evolution. IL one Asiatic re-
public succeeds. the republican spirit
Will bc strengthened in all parts OF
Asia, Great Britain. an empire.
fears the spread OF republican doc
trine from China to India. by way OF
the Philippines.
Japan and Great Britain then un-
doubtediy have in common tho pur-
pose OF holding the undcycioped ASH
attic peoples In subsection and OF pre-
venting the spread OF democratic doc
trines among them. The increase OF
American prestige in the Orient means
tho rise of the democratic ideal there
The United States viii undoubtedly
try 10 help China set up a successful
republican government.
In this fundamental respect. there
fore. Great Britain's interests are
those Of Japan rather than those OF
the United Stntes-that is. those OF the
British imperial government are. There
is n large and growing mass of libcr-
al opinion in England which is sym.
| pathetic to the american point of
view. But the British cmpitc as such
can maintain itself only. II at all. by
supprcssing the rise OF democratic
| ideals in the Orient.
II is for this reason that We see In
the newspapers articles of British in
| spirrtion speaking on behalf OF the
Japanese alliance II ~ argued in the
| first place that this alliance need not
| be at all inimical to the United
states. In the second place II is sug-
xestcd that the alliance he made a
| tripsrtitc agreement to include the
United States.
All OF this argument. say tho experts.
| is spccious. An alliance between ia
pan and England would inevitably
| work against the United States in
| the Far East. whatever it's stated
terms. The proposed tripartitc agree
| ncnt would merely have the effect Of
tying tho hands Of the American
government. II Is probable, howeycr,
| thnt this latter proposition need not
Dc taken seriously because It is prac-
| tically certain that the United States
senate would not ratify any such tri-
| partitc agreement
| Likewise the AuElo-Japaness Al
lance can be prevented by frmness
on the part OF tho United States Great
| brifain may want IL for the reason
stated above but she does not want &c
| padly enough to risk n serious break
| with the United States over H. II Is
| probable that the Japanese know that
they can count on British support in
INC conference. on this and other
| points. just long as that support
does not alicnate the United States. In
a word tho American government has
the physical and financial power to
| enforce its point of view, IL only Il IL
not out-'a'ked. as IL was at Versailles
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ONE YEAR AGO TODAY