The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1921-10-20
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL

Great Britain has the biggest nav
in the world. The United States Is
second, and at the rate we are going
we will catch the British navy in a
few years. Japan comes next, with
a navy a little more than half the size
of that of the United States. They are
the three fighting powers of the world,
and the only ones to be considered
Senators who have debated the arma.
ment question nave pointed out that
the peace Of the world lies within the
keeping of these three nations.
Stripped of all "camou1age" the mat
ter of limitation of ornaments is sim
pie enough for the understanding Of
the most simple.
The United States has taken the lead
in two great international movements
for world peace. The first was the
League of Nations, and now we have
the conference for the limitation OF
ornaments. Japan has reluctantly
agreed to participate. Great Britain
has apparently accepted the invitation
with avidity. The other nations will
come, but they do not count. Three
nations control the peace, and there
fore the destinies Of the world.
The United States asserts its unself-
ishness in q way that Is wholly salts
flying to ourselves; but the Japanese
point to the Pacific, with out great
interests which include the Philippines
ool IIoruaJi Thnu rnGant tho Cali
fornia land policy very bitterly. In
Japan we are regarded as a selfish,
money-mad people seeking to run the
whole American continent with our
Monroe doctrine, making japanese col
~onization undesirable not only in the
United States, but in Mexico, Central
and South America as well. They
might forgive us all this except for
the fact that We interfere with them
in their own Far East" If one is
absolutely fair, it is quite as easy to
understand why the Japanese think
as little of us as we do of them.
Japan has pursued a policy of rapa-
cious seizure of territory for a great
many years. Following a successful
wal with Russia the Japanese have
been the pirates and murderers Of
Asia. Korea wanted only to be let
alone to follow it's Owl quiet way
among nations, but like a pack OF
brigands Japan swooped down upon
the hermit kingdom and reduced it
to a condition Of abjeot subsection.
China has been forced more and more
to surrender its rights and in the end,
unless protected by the world, will
become like Korea, little more than
a vassal of Japan. Japan has the
same greed Of territory that brought
Germany to grief, and she is bent
on a policy of absolute domination
of Asia.
The United States has challenged
the policy Of Japan, and President
Harding has made it a condition in
calling the conference in Washing
ton that Far Eastern problems" shall
be made a part Of the main business.
As a matter of fact they constitute
about 80 per cent of the main bust
ness" because there is admittedly no
excuse for the constant building up
OF great ornaments except to meet
the challenge that Japan is throwing
al the world. 1t will be remembered
that when Germany refused to reduce
Its naval expenditures, the British
served notice that for every keel laid
down for the German navy that Great
Britain would lay down two keels.
And so England prepared and the
other nations followed her example.
Preparedness" Is now defended in
the United States because Japan Is
on the same kind Of rampage that
Germany was. Other nations of the
world are also speeding up with the
building Of ornaments because they
scent trouble brewing.
You can call it by any name you
wish, but II you want to speak plain
English, you will be compelled to say
that the United States and Japan are
preparing for war against each other.
That Is the actual reason why Presi-
dent Harding has called the confer
ence for the limitation of ornaments.
He Is trying to prevent war. Only in
~cidentally Is his administration NOV
ing in the interests Of the overbur.
dened taxpayers.
The third of the fighting powers of
the world Is even more interesting
than the other two. Great Britain is
our English cousin" It's people talk
our language, we are knit to them"
by ties so strong that English-speak.