The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1921-11-18

The ornaments conference viii
meet with two of the allied and asso
ciated powers joined in an alliance
The manner in which Great Britain
and Japan use their combined influ
ence at the parleys will have a pro.
pound effect on the outcome, and
may well determine the question
whether or not there will be any limi
tation placed on the worlds anna.
ments. If no progress is made toward
reconciling conflicting interests in
the Pacific, it is probable that the
way will not be opened for the con-
sideration of ornaments at all
Whether and to what extent agree
ments are reached in that section of
the world will depend largely on the
attitude of Great Britain and Japan
in their alliances.
1t is no secret that the fact of the
alliance has greatly encouraged
Japan in her ambitions in Asia, in
presenting her claims of racial equal.
ity in the United States, and in her
attitude toward Shantung, the peace
settlements, and the islands in the
Pacific. One division of the ALI
ance is that either nation may with
draw upon giving one years notice
to the other. Japan's territorial
schemes would be placed in jeopardy
if she should lose her close relations
with Great Britain. For that reason
she is extremely solicitous of main
tanning them on the friendliest terms.
That fact gives the representatives of
Great Britain tremendous power at
the ornaments conference.
England processes to be very de-
sirous of fostering friendly feeling
with the United States. She also
processes to seek an end to war, and
it is in line with that desire that she
is sending delegates to the Washing
ton conference. 1t is within her
power to take long steps toward both
goals if she is minded to do so. Fut-
ure war between the United States
and Japan is freely predicted by
those who claim expert knowledge
of the situation in the Pacific. Let
us hope that it may be avoided. The
ornaments conference will endeavor
to find ways of bringing the United
States and japan to a complete un-
derstanding on all the questions that
now disturb them, but powerful
influence toward reaching such an
agreement can be exerted by Great
Britain.
Let the British representatives in
dictate to their Japanese colleagues
that unless they abandon their at
tempt to force the United States to
admit japanese to American shores
on terms of equality with other inn
migrants, that unless japanese ag-
gressions in China are halted, and
japanese, incursions into Siberia cur
tailed, Great Britain will be forced
to cancel the alliance at the end of
the stipulated period. Such an an
nouncment to Japan would have a
marked effect. There is little doubt
that it would cause the Japanese to
consent to arrangements regarding
immigration, China, and expansion
into Siberia that would pave the way
for limitations of ornaments and
world peace.
The United States does not seek
the protection of Great Britain from
Japan. America is fully able to take
care of herself in the event of
breach of relations with the Orient,
but if the causes that threaten to
lead to a break could be removed not
only the United States but the whole
world would reap the benefit. Here
is Great Britain's opportunity to
make good her pretensions of friend
ship for the United States, and at
the same time strike blow for world
peace that no other member of the
ornaments conference is in a posi-
ton to deliver. Will she do it., or
will she prefer to preserve her un-
natural alliance with the japanese?
Counting the cost in money only,
the European war cost the United
States more than 100000, 600, 900
a hundred times as much as the cost
of building the Panama Canal, con-
sidered in it's time one of the great
est undertakings the United States
might assume,
"What would not thirty billion dol
lars do?
Thirty billion dollars would buy
all the railroads of the United
States, free from debt, and leave
ten billion dollars for betterments."
Thirty billion dollars would build
900 miles Of the best highway,
at cost of $4,000 per mile-high-
way enough to lay fifty national