Evening journal., 1921-08-24
JAPAN Under
fire IN EAST
Nation is Seen as 'Nulli6er"
at Disarmament
Meeting
CHINESE ARE
SUSPICIOUS
BY WILLIAM PHILIP SIMS

tngton conference Will. very prob
ably. be decided by Japan"
It was a high placed and conserv-
ative Britisher who made this state
ment to me, but It occasioned no
surprise. Nippon has no more severe
critics in this part OF the world than
Britons.
The real significance in this opfn-
ion lies in the fact that virtually all
educated Chinese share in IL, with
the result that China today is watch
ing Japan with growing misgivings.
Most Chinese. find. are convinced
that Japan will leave nothing un-
done to make the conference abor-
tive.
Japan. they argue. WIN not will
ingiy show her hand regarding
China, Shantung. the Twenty-one
Demands. Saghalin Island. the
Amur Valley, Vladivostok. Nil1o-
laievsk. Siberia. Manchuria. Mon
golia. Korea. Yap. Pacific cables and
communications and the like.
Nor will she recede, If she can
help it. from her position on the
paramount interest" she claims in
China and other parts OF Asia To
the contrary, II Is believed in China
that she will continue to lay claim
to the right to establish a Monroe
Doctrine" of her own in the Far East
and try TO obtain the conferences
recognition OF It
II is freely predicted that the at
titude Of Japan at the conference
will be one OF objection-raising.
hofrepIfftfro .rd hfolrorfrr opd ~
a general sitting on the holding
back straps. In short, most Chinese
believe Japan will act as a "nulliier." "
Japan's Great Chance
Another belief often voiced is that
between now and the opening day
of the conference, Japan will at
tempt TO influence China, or secretly
dictate TO her what she shall say
and do at Washington.
The attitude Of the British in
China is that the fate Of the Anglo
japanese Alliance is now in the bal
ance and II will depend entirely on
Japan's conduct at the Washington
conference whether or not It will be
renewed.
All here - Americans, British and
Chinese - see in the conference
Japan's great chance TO make OF
break herself
Between now and the end Of the
conference. it is predicted, the de.
cisive clash between japanese mill.
tarists and liberals will come and
that. in a large measure. the fat'
Of the conference itself will depend
upon the result.
Liberals May Win
It is not considered necessary tina
there should be a change of govern
ment at Toxic for the liberals to win
II Japan's progressives can brlnl
sufficient pressure to bear on TIT
present government to cause tn
Japanese delegates TO Washington 4
adopt a conciliatory attitude, tn
success of the conference, It is be
lieved. viii be assured.
To the contrary. IL the militarist
continue to dominate in Japanes
councils. according TO almost uni
versal opinion here, there is no tell
ing the consequence.
THE keynote Of practically al
japanese politics is the economi
question" said the editor Of tn
British North China Daily News.
"A nation which increases by 1
per cent. while its food resources in
crease by only 4 is bound TO loo
abroad in order to supply the de
hciency.
so Japan looks to China
as she may do quite naturally an
with nothing but mutual good viii.
1T is merely a question OF IN
method by which her perfectly legit
mate requirements are satisfied
And here's the rub.
Force and military triumph hEs
done much for Japan and, unhsT
ply. those who rose 10 power b
,heir use appear unable TO conceiy
Df any other means OF getting whit
Japan needs.
ITO this we owe the unhealed soI
Of Shantung. the Military Pact, n
unappeaseable hatred OF the Chimes
I Tor their neighbors over the Japa
Sea and the deplorable suspicic
With which japanese policy in n
Far East has come so widely to
/. giewed
4 The nations have still gre
many problems on their hands nea'
II home and the Far East remaiI
fairly clear field for Japan's mil
artists.
I'M But sooner OF later the day Z
reckoning will come, and Il is
I. Question for Japan whether she WI
wait that day. or gain the credit
aking spontaneously the more III
4 ral attitude which an ever-increa
ng number OF her best minds ha'
aready mapped out as the only ei
IL Turing foundation of peace in Il
Far East"
,oison i'm Ears
! quote this rather fully becau
puts into words the opinion Of
er cent. OF Britishers in China.
signs, too, are not wanting" ad
d the writer quoted above. 9Th
olson is being dropped into the ca
= some OF the Chinese newspape
set them against the conference.
I'VE do not believe there is al
L. ihiculty so great that frankne
nd the spirit OF give and take W
ot overcome IL.
l. That is the spirit in which Il
elegates from the western natio
riil go. to Washington. We cam
= elieve that the Japanese people W
nsh that their representativ
hould portray them 20 the world
ny other light"
This from a British friend
hpan. Some of her staunchest su