The Washington herald., 1921-05-24
Secretary Reported Eager
To Settle Differences
In Far East.
,YAP ISSUE ALLOWS
EXCUSE FOR START
Four M a jor Questions
Still Remain Open for
Adjustment.
By ROBERT ). BENDER

The next in order or foreign ooe'
nesz for the American state depart
msnt is Japan
President Harding and Secretary
of state Hughes have set in motion
American participation in Euro
pean councils to protect this coun-
try's rights in that field. They have
sent George Summerlin to Mexico
City with the formula upon which
they seek to get friendly co-opera-
tion between Mexico and the United
states definitely under way after
years of instability.
Yap Come. First.
While watching developments OF
the start made in these two dHec-
tions, therefore. Secretary of State
Hughes may well be expected to set
about clearing his desk of the ex-
traneous matters clogging progress
toward a settlement of the trying
questions before the United States
and Japan
Yap comes first Considerable has
been made of the Yap issue, but It
really is only a small phase OF the
American-Japanese situation. 1t Is,
for the moment, more of a talking
poitt than anything else. And there
is reason to believe that informal
discussions which have been car
ried on between Washington and
Tokyo are proceeding in a manner
entirely satisfactory to the United
States. There are, however. major
questions which must be cleared up,
First-The California land and
Japanese immigration question.
Second-The question of when and
under what conditions Japan is to
return Shantung to China.
Third-The question of when and
under what conditions Japan In to
withdraw her troops from Siberia.
Fourth-The broad question of the
open door in the far east.
Hnghes starts study.
Hughes has begun a study of the
discussions begun between former
United States Ambassador Morris
and japanese Ambassador Shidehara
relative to the California land ana
immigration questions. These ne
gotiations were not completed be-
fore the change in administrations
came, and it has not been decided
whether or not they will proceed
now from the point where they left
on or whether they will be opened
on a clean slate.
This administration has never in
dicated what would be its line of
action on the Shantung agreement
for which former President Wilson
was denounced by republican lead
ers. Japan's delay in Withdrawing
her troops from Siberia /has been
frankly looked upon With some
suspicion and as frankly denounced
as a failure by Japan to abide by
the agreement under which Ameri-
can and Japanese troops jointly ef-
fected the original expedition into
Siberia
Open Door I'm East.
In the long run. however, the
great problem works around to the
question of the open door in the
orient. Feeling has been here that
Japan, by continuing her hold on
Shantung and Siberia, has sought
merely to establish herself eco
nomically and politically there and
would withdraw. IL she could have
her way, only with Understandings
assuring her virtual domination OF
E those fields. Hence. persistent re-
ports that she plans to get out of
Shantung and Siberia soon are re-
ceived here quite calmly.
How Secretary Hughes will ap-
proach the distasteful tangle is a
question absorbing diplomats here.
Il 10 held unlikely that he will seek
TO undo the Shantung award on
the same basis as he has proceeded
on the mandate problems for the
reason that the allied power would
not likely yield to, too much null
lifying of what was done by the
treaty of Versailles lest all settle
ments be endangered. Besides, the
japanese problem goes much deeper
and goes much farther back in his
tory than the mandate problem.
Anyhow, the mandate question ap-
pears on a fair way toward set
tlement satisfactory to this country.
Weapon Mt Hand.
In clearing up the japanese
problem on some definite and stable
basis, Hughes has a weapon which
some diplomats believe he will use,
namely, the American reservation
made to the famous pact entered
into between Japan and China some
years ago, better known as the
secret 21 demands. While the orig
inal 81 demands were modified
somewhat by Japan after they be-
came public and the United States
entered her protest. the major de-
mands. directed at economic and
political control in Mongolia and
Manchuria were forced through. At
the time Europe was at war and
protests by the old world powers
naturally were withheld for fear Of
the possible effect upon Japan's at
titude toward the war. The Amerf-
can reservation, made by former
Secretary of State Bryan. however.
still stands. The reservation was
designed to keep the way clear for
any future action this government
might take in protecting its rights
In the Orient. The big problem
then was the same as IL Ia TODAY.
namely. whether Japan is to COM
mand a sphere of influence in that
quarter of the world. to the virtual
exclusion of other nations. And N
IL the belief OF diplomats and we'll
informed-observers here that this
great problem will be cleared up By
Hughes before he finishes his task
with Japan.