The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-12-18
Demand
JUSTIFIED, SAYS
TARAKNATH DAS


Weakening Navy, He Declares,
Would Only Increase Peril Of
British imperialism.
BY PROF. TARAKNATH DAS,
Insernstisnal Secretary Fvienas sf FREQ
dsm for India
The question of greatest importance
for any person worthy to be termed
q statesman is national security al
liances. ententes. conferences. diplo-
matte battles. and intrigues are for
preserving national security and get.
ting the best Of possible or . prob
able enemy. The character of the
Washington conference. airnousn call
ed for limitation Of armaments," il
not a whit different from q secret
diplomatic intrigue to bring about al
liances and rearrangement of the
balance OF power for a certain group
Of powers at the cost of others. This
character of the conference IL being
evidenced every day. as the decisions
come to light.
Big Three Bow to France.
The conference was at the breaking
point about two weeks ago when the
French were seriously considering
leaving II they were t9hored in the
Pacific agreement, and IL the original
plan of Lloyd George for an Anglo
American-Japanese alliance WAS car
ried through. To save the situation,
the four-power alliance was made
The French did not like the agree
ment because 1t was directly leveled
against the Chinese and the Russians.
But unless they agreed to the plan Of
the British and the japanese to have
the Horsepower agreement which
would under-write the existing Anglo
japanese alliance with FNranco-Amert-
can support. then there would have
been an Anglo-American-Jap
alliance which would not have been
any too advantageous for France. So
the French signed the pact with all
its defects.
Now the pro-Britisho papers ana
statesmen Of America are stirred up
because France Ia opposing British
American plan Of naval holiday. What
10 the truth Of the situation? France ac-
cepted the Hughes plan, ION principle"
In the open session. AS 1t was agreed
upon. they all put up their reserva-
tons In the secret sessions and they
had hot discussions on points involv-
ing national interest. But the discus
sions carried on in the dark chambers
of secret diplomacy did not get much
publicity. as the publicity machine was
controlled; and 1t was thought thcn
to the best interest OF the conference
there should be secrecy. France
never accepted Mr.. Hughes PROPOSE.
fox, IT, a
the proposition of scrapping the Mutsu
nor Balfour the American program
regarding submarines. .t
France Protests at Ratio. 20
France protested Against the idea
OF RELOCATING herself to q position Of
. third-class power, 80 far a. the naval
strength was concerned. Mr.. BRAND
demanded 6-5-a as the ratio for Brit
ain. France and Italy in Europe.
France did not agree to have q navy
less than that Of Japan.
Balfour objected on the ground that
II France and Italy had So to that
of Britain's s. then Britain would not
have the two-power strength In the
Mediterranean. II France submitted
to the plan not to have q navy bigger
than what she hes today Il would
moAn sne WOuiu nave only III 70 Tor
Great Britain and for Japan.
France has not come to Washington
to entrust the question of her national
security to Britain and Japan, in
Asia, or Britain, Italy and Greece IN
the Mediterranean; she can not afford
to do 90 when she sees that British
world policies are anti-French, to say
the least.
Britain's policy regarding Turkey Is
absolutely against France. and Britain
Will, do anything to curb French IN
nuence in the European continent to-
day, as she did ten years ago against
Germany. As no British cabinet can
remain in power by giving up Brit
ish sovereignty over India voluntarily.
SO no French cabinet can last IL 4
signs any agreement which will re-
duce France to a third-class power.
America has no interest to reduce
France to a position lower than that
of Japan. France has in the past
helped America and American diplo-
macy. and France does not expect
from the American people any adverse
decision in her demand that she
should not be put in a position where
her navy may be about half Of the
Japanese navy. America cannot af-
ford to kill France as a naval power
to please Britain. Reduction OF
French strength means proportional
increase of strength of the British
Imperialism and navalism which is
menace to America and the rest Of