The New York herald., 1921-11-16
SINCERITY OF JAPAN
PLEDGED by PREMIER
Says Island Empire Enters
Arms Farley in Hope
of Relief.
WILL LESSEN DISTRUST
Harding Will Live in His
tory as World Benefac-
tor, He Asserts.
PLAN IS PROPOSED TO U. s.
Toxic Paper Says Japan Will
Cut Naval Work if We Cur
tail on Pacific Forts.

TOXIC, Nov. Is ASSOCIATED Press) -
conference will be epoch making in
the realization Of peace and good will
on earth by diminishing, if not remov-
ing, causes OF distrust and suspicion
among nations" said Baron Koretiyo
Takahashi, the new Premier, to the
Associated Press to-day.
'"The burden of armaments.' the Pre-
nier continued, tends to waste of
energy and destruction Of purposes,
and is a curse Of the times. Japan's
finance feels the pain of the burden
of armament as keenly as the other
Powers. Nothing would be more well
come than relief from this burden
through mutual understanding be-
tween the nations based on the prin-
ciple Of equality and fairness.
THE outlay for national defence
should be reduced to the minimum
necessary for national security. Japans
naval expenditures have been consider
THE success Of the Washington Con-
ference must be considered to depend
on the degree of sincerity on the part
of those participating in tt. and Japan
Will be second to none in this respect.
my fervent prayer is that the meet
ing in Washington may be successful in
insuring a lasting peace. This effected,
President Harding will be entitled to
the gratitude of the world, not only
contemporaneous but for generations to
come"
Worry over U. s. Forts in Pacific.
Considerable speculation is being in
duiged in here as to what will be the
attitude OF the United States toward
the demands which 1t Is expected Japan
will make at the Washington Confer
ence on the question of the fortification
of the Pacific Islands.
"1t is understood that the Japanese
Government has an idea of reducing its
'eight-eight' naval programme to eight
four If the United States is willing to
abandon her three year building pro-
gramme and give up her Pacific forti-
fications. says the Asahi shin, bun
such instructions already have been
given to the Japanese delegation.
What the attitude of the United
States will be cannot easily be surmlsed
Judging from the spirit of the confer
ence the American Government will not
insist on the proposal TO force Japan
to reduce her capital ships to ten. I'm
doubtedly proposals on minor matters
may be made by Japan and Great Brit
ain, but Japan is confident Great Brit
ain will agree to the American proposal
as a general principle. and that the an
ticipated holiday may be agreed to more
easily than is expected"
The Jiji Shimpo IN an editorial finds
in this question the most significant
guaranty for the realization of limita-
ton of armament. It says it hopes that
any additional suggestions or counter
proposals the other Powers will make
from individual standpoints will not be
Of such a nature as to restrict the
range of limitation.
The Asahi Shimbun declares 1t Is
profoundly impressed with the wisdom
of the American authorities In not CIV
ing Pacific questions priority over ar
mament and that they also advanced
such comprehensive plan on limitation
as to multiply the chances for its be-
ing brought about.
The Chugdi Shogyo Shimpo sees the
advisabilty of introducing more firm
ness in the balance of power of the
the proposal appears to ignore the diff
ferences in their Industrial capacity.
The HocM ShiDlbun advises the pow
ers to respect suggestions as heralding
successful achievement of the long
desired restriction In armament and to
strive to reach an agreement as nearly
within the proposed range as Is POSI-
BILE.
Attributing the economic depression
to the tremendous expenditure for arrna-
ments, Kinzo Ikeda, leading banker.
advocates ready consent to disarmament.
not only forr the sake of the world but
for the national welfare. Vice --dmiral
Funakosh president of the Yokosund
Naval Arsenal, halls the proposal as
concrete plan but says he fears the in
evitable aggravation of the labor ques-
ton In consequence OF the abandonment
of the work on the battleships Mutsa.
Saga and Tasa.
Taisuke Shiota. director OF the Mitsu-
bishi dockyards, says that strike at
present would be d death blow to the
steel industry and would increase the
Instability of labor. He advocates a
different standard Of limitation OF arma-
ment between the United States and
Japan, which he declares are widely diff
fercnt industfially.
Fears for Balance of Power.
Baron Toshiatsu Sakamoto, an IN
fiuential member Of the House OF Peers.
declares that in the proposals there Is a
conspicuous absence OF the proper bal
ance, which Is the cardinal element OF
peace I'm the Pacific. He points out the
possibility of the balance Of power being
destroyed by the naval holiday if IL Is
begun as suggested.
Takeshi Inukai. president OF the
Kokuminto, or National party, says
that fair or not, Japan Is bound to see
limitation or armament realized with no
less scope than proposed. lie sees wis
dom In Japan accepting this plan. or one
of more positive limitations.
Vice Admiral Sonoio Elitaka, naval
commandant OF the general staff, de-
clares that limitation of armament is Il
matter Of most practical value and that
tho ultimate object wodld be frustrated
ir ,aere was any defect in the method
Of its execution, however plausible. He
SAYS he is OF the conviction that the
proposal requires cautious Investigation.
Suilchiro Tanaka, professor Of history
at Keio University. says the limitation
of armament will not be so complete a
guarantee of peace as ie generally sup
posed. because abandonment OF srfna-
ment will be followed by more intonsi-