New-York tribune., 1921-09-27
Britons Hope
Arms Council
Will Cut Taxes

Continued from pags on.)
interpolated merely to emphasize tho
hnanclai uncertainty and instability of
Europe and explain why the Allied
governments are so keen to co-operate
with America.
But there is another phase Of tho
situation which makes British states
men take an interest in the Washing
ton discussions. The Far Eastern
question looms as big as the Wash
lrgton Monument. 1t would be no ex-
aggeration to say that the questions of
peace, war and the Pacific affect the
very foundations of the British En-
pre-, and at the recent imperial con-
terence here the discussion became ex-
tremely grave, until happily the Wash
lngton conference offered a temporary
respite.
1t is understood that the original
suggestion that the Pacific question
De submitted at Washington came
from Lloyd George. and that it caused
uneaslness among dominion delegates
was evident from Australia's eaperness
mat she be represented only unof-
ncially. 1t IS certain that there is not
complete agreement among the
domlnlons as to the Pacific, and it is
hard to see how any delegation from
LOWING Street can present the views of
England, Australia and Canada and
commit the various parts of the Brit
ism Empire to any agreement on this
question without long consultation by
their representatives.
Pacific Problem Real Test
:. Every reasonable person here be-
iieves the Pacific problem will prove
the real test of success of the con-
terence and that it will be an exceed
lhgly dlfhcult one to handle, with
Japan determined to hold fast to the
fruits of the Versailles Treaty and
with Canada and Australia alarmed.
The British government is finding
the Anglo-Japanese treaty decidedlv
embarrassing, and it would welcome
some arrangement at Washington sat
isfactory to both the United States and
Japan.
In the final show down England will
undoubtedly be found supporting the
Canadian policy, though that may be
modihed considerably between now
and the end of the conference.
The question of the reduction of
armies will be raised and will require
long discussion, but Great Britain is
not likely to agree to any scheme
whereby her compa ratively small army
would undergo further pruning. Italv
feels that her military establishment
is only sufficient to defend what she
gained in the war, and Frances position
is we'll known. These armies are not
IN competition now, but they are GER
talnly heavy financial drain on the
countries maintaining them.
OF the three powers with which Eng
land is in competition on sea arma
M &c IN ,,,G,, +o1, A.
position to stand the cost, although
Americas debt now is twenty times
what it was before the war.
Britain's Naval Policy
AS explained recently by Lord Lee.
naval policy provides for only a one
power standard, which means British
navy only as strong as any other single
nations, but as long as Japan and
America are competing Great Britain's
naval budget must necessarily increase.
Great Britain would gladly reduce,
provided her relative position remained
unchanged.
The British delegates may be ex-
pected to take a neutral position at
the outset of the Far Eastern discus
sion, championing neither China nor
Japan. How long they will be able to
maintain that position it is difficult to
say, but if it is persisted in to the end
the conference can hardly success.
With no desire to minimize the i'm
portance of trying to reach an agree
ment for the abolishment OF poison
gas and aerial attacks outside the area
of hostilities and for controlling the
depredations of submarines, it is per-
fectly obvious that unless the confer
ence grapples with fundamental polit-
ical and military questions little real
progress will be made. The spirit of
compromise must pervade the confer
ence, and Europe is expected to give
America a strong lead.