The Washington herald., 1921-11-09
NATIONS TREADING
IN MAZE OF FOG ON
EVE CONFERENCE
Famous London Editor
Tells Impressions of
Days Before.

LAYS DelOIe.
contsnaed from Page One.
u denect the conference itself from.
achievement OF its twin objects7<
reduction of military and naval
burdens through lasting agreement
upon political issues that now
threaten the worlds peace
Ideals MUST Conquer.
The task Of the conferences needs
therefore To be approached coolly
in n large, undogmatic spirit APP
peals to the emotions or to national
interests In the narrower sense OF
the word can only tend to darken
counsel As far as the American
SeOple are concerned. they may IN
deed be influenced by lofty appeals
OF the ploughshare and pruning
hook species or even by references
TO the burden OF Federal taxation,
but they are In no mood to be
frightened and would not be even
did they realize more clearly the ma
ture of perils by which the confer
encs Is undoubtedly surrounded
Save on some points the Amer
lean public at large, If 1t be per-
missible To use so general an ex-
preston about q country where
local standpoints are strongly ac-
centuated-regardS the conferences
with an uninfoTmed imparuallIy
There Is a prepossession In favor OF
the open door" in China: a belief
in the necessity for safeguarding
the integrity of China, though what
integrity may be. nobody seems
quite to know: a dislike of the
AnEio-Japanese alliance, which Is
made the scapegSet for a multitude
OF sins; and. as already said, there
is a desire for tightening the fiscal
burdens entailed by armaments-
II to these be added the ancient dis
Inclination to contract engagements
/ susceptible of Interpretation as en-
Hanging alliances, the tale OF Amer
lean emotions in regard to the con-
fferencs would be almost complete
America In Cloud.
But the net result in American
minds is a state of not unhopeful
bewilderment-
Into this condition of thought
md feeling the assassination OF
he Japanese premier, Hara, has
alIen with disturbing effect. 1t has
2eranged expectations founded upon
belief IN Hara's moderate ten
ncies and upon the assumption
At his influence might have pre-
lied over that commonly attrib-
ed to the Japanese military gem
Al staff. Some doubt is now felt
en- In weIl-informed quarters as
whether the effect of the crime
" not be to stiffen the japanese
cial attitude toward the confer
be. In any case. the crime has
en sharp reminder that the
ecess Of the conference may de-
nd less upon the sayings and do
Is of statesmen assembled at
ashington than upon the outcome
an obscure domestic struggle In
ban ....
Feeling In Japan
be Is an umdoubted fact that an
hDortant and possibly predominant
ection Of japanese opinion holds
he moment Propitious for an at
tempt to extend and consolidate
Japanese political and economic
supremacy in the Ear East The
strategic superiorit,- on sea and
land which Japan has already Sc
kcured at a great cost and as a re-
Euit of decades of patient effort
bught not-in the view Of these in
Ruential partisans of national ag-
randizement-be compromised by
limitation OF armaments or in
Standardization and control Of
he Western Pacific or Eastern
static mainland. Against these
ndencies there are undoubtedly
hinged forces OF Japanese lib
ralism. but il Is an open question
Fhether those forces would prove
4 the ecisive moment more pow
rful than peaceful tendencies
roved in Germany before 1914.
Prudence and the disastrous ex-
erience of recent years alike dis
urage unthinking optimism as TO
be outcome of the Japanese do
estic struggle. But prudence and
perience equally enjOin upon all
vernments and people whom tho
tcome is likely to affect. the duty
regarding the issue with firm
uanimity in readiness to face
her contingency.
Has Special Position
While IN the one hand, the real
necessities Of the Japanese national
position need the fullest and most
kriendIy consideration in all guar
|ters, and while the special position
|Of Japan in northeastern Asia
should be admitted without pedan-'
TRY. II would be futile, on the other
hand. to forges that there are
limits beyond which neither the
United States or other Pacific
powers can go towards meeting
Japanese wishes.
In particular. the British Empire
and also France are not far removed
from fundamental identity of views
and interests with those Of the United
States. There Is, moreover. reason
TO believe that the most enlightened
and circumspect Japanese statesmen
will understand that pursuit of aims
commonly attributed to the Japan
ese general staff' would, antagonize
the British commonwealth Of nations
as Inevitably and swiftly as the
United States itself. The conviction
is growing in many quarters that
the more general the appreciation of
this truth in Japan is. especially
among the militarist section, the
clearer will be the perception of the
ultimate risk to Japan which an
-