The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-11-21
REAL PURPOSE
IS TO CHECK
IMPERIALISM
Haskin Says Conference Exhl-
bition of Diplomatic Horse
Trading Between England
and United States.
JAP AMBITION MENACE
BY FREDERICK j. HAsKIN


WASHINGTON, D. c., Nov 21.-
That there are but two world powers,
and that the Washington conference
is really an effort to reach an agree
ment between these two, which will
stabilize international relations enough
to permit the reduction of naval arma-
ments, is the view held by many Of
the best informed observers.
The two powers, of course, are the
United States and Great Britain.
France and Italy are powers in Eu-
rope, but in their present condition,
neithe" of them can alone exert a
decisive influence upon world affairs.
Japan is the one Asiatic power, but
she is not world power if she
stands alone. Her important part in
the international affairs of the last
20 years has been made possible by
her alliance with England.
The public is prone to regard the
conference as an effort to make war
impossible by agreements for the re-
ductiOn of armaments to the point
where the nations will not be able to
fight AS a matter of fact. disarma-
ment is a minor phase of the confer
ence. Military disarmament probably
will not even be discussed. Naval
armaments will at most be limited in
such way as to reduce the burdens
of taxation and perhaps pave the way
for further reduction at some future
time. But such a reduction would
not make war impossible or even moro
improbable than it now is.
Real Object.
There are in the world certain
forces of military and economic i'm
perialsm which make for war. They
are present in all of the countries
represented at the conference excep-
China But in some other countries
they are more clearly dominant than
in others. To curb these forces is
the real object of the conference, or
at least, its best hope of taking q
step toward insuring peace.
The conference will be another great
exhibition of diplomatic horsetrading
like the meeting at Versailles, but it
need not be as futile as that one was
1t cannot hope to make war impos-
tiles that it will precipitate a war. But
it is also among the possibilities that
it will be a setback to imperialistic
ambition in several quarters, that it
will check naval building. and that ii
will establish an equilibrium in world
affairs which will make another world
war improbable for long time.
During that time the revulsion of
l. ~. l. IL
" growing since the Middle Ages
will have a chance to grow stronger
still.
The growth of this feeling is the
only thing that can ever really pre-
vent war. Governments inevitably
make wars, but when the common
man refuses to fight them or pay fo1
them, the governments will be dis
armed indeed.
Japan's Policy.
One of the countries in which the
imperialistic or war-making feeling is
most clearly dominant is Japan. THAI
fact is recognized and admitted upOT
all sides. Japan has enforced her viii
in Manchuria and Siberia. She has
siezed Shantung and imposed her 2
points upon China.
These moves are clearly the begin
ming of a course of economic anC
military imperialism in Asia which
would inevitably cause another wa
sooner or later. Furthermore, thi!
course on the part of Japan's inimica
to the United States, because thi!
; country is committed to a policy o
maintaining open door (equal eco
CONTINUED on Page Fiye)