Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-11-14

tifying the Philippines, Guam. the
Midway Islands and Samoa; provided
Japan refrained from fortifying her
insuIar outpOsts In the Western
Pacific.
Far and away the overshadowing item
on such an American program would be
the Anglo-Japsnese alliance. II is direct
ly and dssolubly connected with the
Hughes naval limitation proposals. Tn
der those proposals the British Empire is
assigned an eventual feet Of 500. 900 tons.
America 100000 tons, and Japan 300O
tons.
There was undoubtedly method in
Americas apparent madness in Offering
out Of hand TO allow the British and
Japanese allies an aggregate naval
stronth nearly twice the amount America
proclaims she Will be satisfied with. Our
generosity" can only mean that we in
tend thai those allies shall break up
their military and naval alliance.
Secretary Hughes presumably would
put forward proposals for a basis of
understanding" on principles and pol
icies in the Far East and the Pacific
Just as he expects his naval proposals to
form basis OF understanding" The
Far Eastern suggestions above enum-
Grated embrace what are known TO be
the United States primary considera-
lions. II Japan comes forward with
counter suggestions-such as an ex-
preston OF her necessity to expand on
the mainland Of Asia-it is certain such
proposals will be viewed benevolently by
the United States. Great Britain. too,
may be expected to advance ideas Of her
own regarding the Pacific.
VENTILATION OF
VIEWS RESULT.
The net result will be a ventilation Of
views bound, in Americas Judgment, to
extract the probab Utilities Of war from
the eastern situation. But on the neces-
sity for stopping aggression and land
grabbing and abolishing special priv
ileges in China and Siberia. the attitude
OF the United states will be found firm
and unfolding. IL may develop that
Secretary Hughes will take occasion TO
say the United States can not scrap her
modern battle feet II the possibility OF
needing 1t on the other side Of the world
continues. Although America dramati-
caly has projected armament limitation
into the forefront OF conference discus
SIGN, it must not be forgotten, in other
words, that from the outset she has tied
Up the Far East with IL. II America is
denied complete satisfaction in the Pa
ciic the conference may hear she is not
minded to do away with her sea fighting
forces.
Secretary Hughes announced in his
opening address that there was a con-
f1Ict OF opinion as &c whether the con
ference proper should tackle armament
first or second. The circumstance that
the American delegation has come for
ward at once with its armament proposal
does not necessarily imply that the con
| ference will discuss them before consid-
ering Far Eastern affairs. Hitherto II
has been the definite conviction OF the
United States that the Far East, as the
worlds remaining principal breeder Of
war. should take precedence over ways
and means for limiting the machinery of
war. Secretary Hughes indicated Satur-
day that the two topics might be consid-
cred simultaneously. There is good rea-
son 10 think his action in so Immediately
and forcefully giving the world Americas
views on naval limitation was a concession
TO American public opinion. There has
been an organized deluge of pressure on
President Harding during the past few
weeks not to let disarmament" he side
tracked. Apparently it was decided to
be the polite thing TO convince our own
people without delay that the Administra-
ton means business in the direction Of
lifting the staggering burden" Of naval
competition. But It would be for the
conference to decide-now that our naval
cards are on the tsble-in just what or
der the armament Limitation problem shall
be taken up.--Cooyright. 1921, by Public
Ledger Company.