The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-12-16
COMPROMISE MADE
WITH JAPANESE
America Obliged to Yield
on Disarmament and
zap Dispute
No BIG SACRIFICE
"a ON PRINCIPLES
just Enough Yielding to Accomplish
Main Purpose - China Fears 1t VIII
Not Fare Well In New American
Japanese Agreements.
By DAVID LAWRENCE
Especial Despatch to The Reformer)
...-- CT 4 4 7na1

By DAVID LAWRENCE
Especial Despatch to The Reformerl Il
Copyright 1927
NASHI NGT0N Dee. 10 Compromise |
which is the basis of all international
agreement has been found necessary tol
meet the pride and sentiment OF the
japanese people.
Secretary Hughes, who started out
with IN insisteRce on the acceptance of
the program lie offered, has found the5
Japanese currents OF resistance sol
strong As to make it necessary TO give
concessions. The Japanese argued for
greater percentage of total tonnage
and lost. They countered, however, with
la proposal that the Mutsu. the most
powerful type of battleship yet built,
should be retained. They argued that
I japanese sentiment was wrapped mp in
1.-THE new vessel, that it would be difficult
Ito scrap so Important a ship without en-
ddneesing the acceptance of the whole
{ program So In order to satisfy the Jan.
tauese. the American delegates were per
sUaded that as IA practical proposition
the inclusion OF the Autsu didn I vi
/ tally affect the total armament of three
/ Zig naval powers and that possibly
/ re-aFrangeReut of the vessels selected for
! the scrap neap would be just as effective
/ u the long run,
/ Somewhat the same kind of tactics
/ were Used by the Japanese in the uego-
ItiatIoHs over the. island of Zap where
1.-THE mandate originally bestowed upon
Japan was clasred tenaciously by the
JapaHcsc although most Of q he exclusive
rights and privileges which it might
otherwise convey were granted to the
United States
Yields On Details.
| Ia nutshell, the American opinion
/ scems 80 be that Japan can have all the
superficial concessions she wants If Il
makes little difference in Substance.
4 The American naval experts don t feel
ttEar they are COncedinE very much to
I Japan III lettin~ the Alutsu remain for
] they insist THAI the equivalent number
LOT American hattleships retained Is
more than sufficient TO Offset any advan
/ taEe which the AIutsu might appear to
J have ~iyen. still the naval experts are
{ the last people in the world to object To
any increase IN tonnage Tor any country
80 long as it Is prOPortOnate. Deep in
/ their hearts they have not looked with
Iany particular iov ON the prospect of
scrnuninr nice new battleShiDs upon
which so much money has been spent.
The Japanese desire, to keep the Aluisu
has therefore worked out to the ad
vantage of these experts in all countries
Who felt that the Hughes proposal
should merely be starting point and
hat a revision upward should be made
before the conference came TO final
agreement.
Far Eastern Situation.
The arms conference has rciegated
Far Eastern questions to a secondary
place 1or the moment while all attention
Is concentrated ON naval matters. The
hope Is that a pienary session may be
held on saturday of this week in order
that the naval agreement may be for
mally proclaimed.
But while the conference has put the
Far Eastern tangie aside tentatively.
the prospects are that the most acute
situation OF ali has yet To develop with
respect to China. The delegates from
the latter country have been sitting pa +
tientiy waiting for the conference to3
accomplish something concrete for China
besides mere declarations of principles.
The Chinese have been given promises
and pledges of the same Kind before.
While they are not openly expecting any
disapproyal OF the new four power pact
they admit privately that the new treaty. |
places no restraint upon the hand of Ia
pan with respect TO the main land of
Asia and merely binds Japan not 10 in /
fringe upon the rsghts of other powers
in the Pacific islands.
China Gains Little.
What j. to be done To limit japanese
aggression in China! The Chinese have
appealed to the powers to do away with
the treaty which Japan forced upon
China duTlng the war containing the ia +
nous u demands. The Chinese have
sought to regain Shantuug. The ten
deucV OF the powers thus TAR Is to try T
To get as much accomplished on naval
matters and TO do away with the Anglo
Japanese alliance, feeling that aftersa
these We're the principal objects of the
whole gathering so far as public opinion
was concerned. On the other hand Mr.. ,
Hughes in his original invitation to the
powers SunmUninw this conference laid
down the principe that the peace of
the world would not be achieved until
Far Eastern questions were adjusted.
The conference has for the most set ny
machinery TO solve certain theoretical
questions with respect to Pacific islands.
The vital matters affecting China have
been side stepped rs much as possible.
The Chinese fear the evasion is to be
permanent and that the conference is to
adjourn with nothing more than new
set of declarations which viii not be
any more deciding upon Japan than past
announcements. There Is some ground
for their suspicion because the powers
already have shown a disposition to APP
pOnt investigating commissions to re-
port at a later date-perhaps a wear or
two hence. There has been no such pur-
pose 10 Stltlt NitN AlliIl0>P DIoHiclA a. III
fuenced the course Of the delegates on
either the naval ratio or the Anglo-Jap-
anese alliance. The conversations con-
corning Shaptung are not viewed hope
fully in ( hinese quarters. The nub of
the whole Situation is that If the Amer
lean delegation comedies another point
10 Jaaan pride and refuses to interfere
in the settlement of the Chnese-Japan-
sc disputes the Far Eastern situation
% far IT. the Chinese are concerned VIII
have been very little improved by the
Washington Conference The Chinese Of
fcials are aGENiapsive that America 5
readiness 80 weld TO Japan on the Yap
mandate rs we'll as the American deci-
sion TO alter the original Hughes naval
-rarosals in ordn~ to satisfy Japanese
0ride aud sentiment is an omen of Jap .
.,npse- American cooperation which
.,,,Il tYo,4bIa for China