Evening star., 1921-12-06
PROPOSES i. S. LAY
down China RULES
American Familiar With Stu.
alton Declares Path Must
Be Pointed Out.
PEACE IN HUGHES HANDS
Declare Some Method in Arms
Limitation Must Be Followed
in Far East.
PEACE IN HUGHES HANDS
BY WILLIAM II. ELLIS.

in Far East.
BY WILLIAM II. ELLIS.
Certain nations here seem to think
that they are in an oriental bazaar, for
whereas they are really in a church
and an old-fashioned' church. with a
mourners' bench. This conference is a
place to hear the gospel Of interna-
tional righteousness preached; to profess
penitence for past sins; to promise right
living in the future, and to win fellow
ship with the brotherhood of nations.
Such is the idea that ran through the
conversation of IAN old China hand"
who is far from churchly, whom I came
across today. Years ago l knew him
as a militant American in Shanghai.
drastically cleaning UP the American
name out there. His talk in Washing
ton was interlarded With expletives that
were never learned in Sunday school.
yet he was insistent upon the conten-
sion that right, and only right, is the
single basis upon which this conference
can succeed
Peace in Mr.. Hughes Hands.
Let me summarize the views Of this
vigorous middlee- western American. VINO
knows the whole far east intimately.
having represented the American gov
ernment in more than one spot:
Secretary Hughes has the peace of
the world in his hands. He has behind
him the undivided support of nation
bent only on doing what is right: a
nation which. for reasons often pointed
n
leadership of the world. He and
America can do anything anywhere on
earth for peace and justice. and get
away with it. When he came out, at
the opening session of the conference,
with a definite pronouncement and pro-
gram for the reduction of armament.
he at once received an Endorsement
that amounted to mandate from hu-
manity.
America, through Secretary Hughes.
must repeat the same method in con-
nection with the far eastern question.
if this conference is not to be dickered
and bargained and whitfield away into
ineffectiveness. Let him stand up in
open session, with the whole earth
looking and listening, and declare
specifically shat famous wrongs in
China and Siberia must end, and SIM
pie right must be done. He has what
Bismarck called the imponderables'-
right, justice. the spirit of the times
and the public opinion of the world
all on his side. Civilization will sup
port him in calling a halt upon the
pettifogging and chaffering. now under
way, which are trying to determine
just how much of the loot stolen from
poor. weak, debauched China shall be
returned to her.
Proposes Four Points.
Instead of this sort of sophistry and
haggling. suppose Secretary Hughes
should declare. in a plenary meeting.
that this country wants. in order to
renovate possibility of war in the Far
East, and in order that the standards
of civilization may be observed, these
four definite actions. taken by all the
powers concerned. regardless of special
interests and special pleading:
Il. China's lines of communication of
all sorts restored to China. ~
80. All foreign troops recalled from
China's soil, and the land returned to
China
'3. Control of her own revenues of
every. sort, given back to China.
a. The natural resources of China.
coal. iron, gold, wather power and all
others. which have been taken from her
on a variety of pretexes, mostly bad,
given back to her
Then the conference. the full confer
ence, would have something definite to
talk about that concerns general human
welfare and the peace of the world. The
effect Of such prGnouncement would be
akin to the effect of the American dec
Iaration upon naval armament. All
civilization would be instantly. COM
PEELED to line up with Secretary Hughes
definition and declaration of interna-
tional morals.
Status Quo Talk Fatal.
"All this talk about status quo is
fatal to the interests of peace, and of
free. fair dealing by all nations upon
equal terms in the East. In the same
spirit. this piffiing querying about
What is China" and DO the present
delegates represent China is merely SO
much dust thrown in the eyes of
progress
THE principles that lie behind the
conference would apply even if there
was not a single Chinese delegate
here. Our State Department is famil-
lar with every fact and argument
brought forth by the Chinese and
could present them better. Right is
right, whoever breaches it.
There is no denying that the Chi
nese officials, north. south and middle.
have been debauched by the same
predatory powers that have taken
her territory. Does that fact make
the villainy any less? Is the rogue
who robS man less guilty because
he first made the victim drunk
Everybody knows that China has not
really and fully exercised sovereignty
since the Boxer days. Is that fact any
palliation of the present situation?
Take it from me-" concluded my
intense friend, unless those of us who
are trying to help Secretary Hughes
see that now, before it is too late. he
should let the blow fall in the case of
the far east as he did in the case of
ornaments. this conference will never
do what the American people believe
il was called to do. 1t is not enough
to limit the means of war; the cause
of future war. which is the present
far eastern condition, must be elm
mated"
Copyright, 1921
>~a nnRle An AklnnRI