New-York tribune., 1921-12-04
Our Paci6c Frontier

Our EGCENC EfCltiEf
Many Americans have been SLOW
i realize that the California coast
ire is no longer our western from
t;er. This slowness has been taken
advantage of by Japanese propa-
ysnda. The doctrine has been devel-
oped in Toxic that the United States
ought to refrain from fortifying its
Pacific holdings.
/ japanese policy aims at persuad-
I inc America to consider the Pacific
4 IS much Of barrier between us
and the Asian Continent as it was
before we acquired Hawaii, Guam
and the Philippines. Our frontier
has, in fact, been extended west
to the very shores of Asia. 1t
stretches from the Aleutian Islands
to the Philippine Islands. Japan
would like TO have us act as if it
lay just beyond the Golden Gate
Professor Yoshi s. Kuno, of Le-
hnd Stanford Junior University, au-
thor of What Japan Wants. is
critical of Japan's foreign policy in
Corea and China. He is a liberal
IN Japanese domestic politics. But
he says deftly IN one Of his chapter
that one of Japan's primary desires
j to use the Pacific as buffer be-
tween her and America. He ar
guas. soundly enough. that in that
sFent there would be few occasions
for controversy between the two ma
uons If we should retire from the
Far East and give Hapan a free
shand there ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS frie-
ton would of course, be reduced
almost to the vanishing point.
The Japanese delegates at Wash
/ ington are suggesting a bar on the
|. fertilization Of the Philippines and
the utilization of Guam as a naval
base as compensation for their ac-
captance of the 5-5-3 ratio. Mr..
Hughes's armament reduction plan
contemplates disabling the three
nayies for oversee offensives. Our
navy is not now equal to an often
sIve on the other side of the Pacific.
It would be still more unequal to it
after the new naval ratio goes into
effect. Fortifying the Philippines
or making military use of Guam
would therefore be defensive expe-
\ dents only. Even if we resorted
1 70 them our military position in the
Western Pacific would remain high
/ yinsecure.
Nhy, then, Japanese demand
| ior the non-fortification of our Pa
clflc boundary line? Japan ha forti-
ned her own coasts. 1t is rumored
mat she is going to use the Caroline
and Marshall Islands for military
purposes, although under the Yer
Ahles Treaty she has no right to do
50, We don't ask Japan not to for
NY her ports or her outlying islands,
g {. altnough it is self-evident that we
4 nave no wish or purpose to attack
ner. But we owe it to ourselves to
aeiend the Philippines with the same
vigilance as we would defend any
osner exposed portion of American
territory.
Hector c. Bywater, the British
assal architect, points out in his
nooK, Sea Power in the Pacific"
nat Guam is the master key of that
ssean. lie expresses surprise that
Me United States government has
RW awakened to that fact and has
ny taken steps to develop Guam as
4e sole base from which the Philip
pMes can be defended. To leave
Seam out of account as mere
soslying possession, whose military
e'ue may safely be neglected, is
: TINS British critics opinion a
save error of American policy.
"Anout Guam the defense of our
asasern border collapses. With it
ssseioped as naval base, as it
sosat to be, we would still be linn.
ny 70 strict defensive in the
eaern Pacific. so superior is
pans strategical position in that
~ Of the ocean. These are facts
aa'sn ought not to be overlooked in
Washington negotiations.