The daily times., 1921-11-02
ANGLO-JAPANESE
ALLIANCE MENACE
TO UNITED STATES
CONTINUED from page II

the United States was being marshall
ed in favor of a reduction OF arma-
ment. Senator Borah's pleas were be-
ing needed The tax burden was SO
heavy that the calling of an arma-
ment conference to stop the race in
armaments was advocated on every
side. President Harding didn't favor
the Borah resolution because 1t Inn
tied the conference merely to Great
Britain the United States and Japan.
He insisted thst it ought to include
all the major powers.
Then it was that an unwritten but
significant chapter developed in Lon
don. President Harding admitted pub
licly that he had been sounding out
che powers on the subject of an arm
ament conference. Ambassador Har-
vey was entrusted with that mission.
America wanted an armament con-
ference called-England wanted
something done about Far Eastern
problems. she was anxious that
graceful way be found to lead her out
OF the dilemma in connection with
the renewal of the Anglo-Japanese
alliance. The alliance, it had been de-
eided, would remain in effect for at
least another year, or even more un-
Less specifically abrogated.
( What more natural thing than to
have Prime Minister Lloyd George or
Lord Curzon, foreign secretary, sit
down with Ambassador Harvey and
say something like this to him:
'Why call a conference on arma-
ment when we know that we can't re-
duce our navies till there is an
agreement on diplomatic questions
especially in the Far East?''
To which Ambassador Harvey
might with propriety have said:
That's very true, we too are con-
cerned with what happens in the Pac-
ific-many of our own people are
openly saying the next war will be
with Japan. We would like to see Far
Eastern questions settled so that
American business enterprise will
have an equal opportunity alongside
Japanese, British or French business
as the case may be-
And the British statesmen might
have continued thus:
Fine, if the President of the Uni
ted States calls a conference on arm
ament and there is a discussion of
Far Eastern questions in connection
with it, we will not object The ini-
tiative will come from the United
States and we will not be in the posi-
tiOn of offending Japan"
So President Harding issued the
call. Curiously enough the publicity
was somewhat bungled, that is from
the European viewpoint-someth
that doesn't happen often Before the
formal call was issued by President
Hardlng-two days to be exact
Prime Minister Lloyd George almost
let the cat out of the bag by referring g
mysterlously to a diplomatic note
winch had been sent to the powers
and to which replies were expected
before the next move in the Anglo
japanese situation could be discuss
ed. 1t had been hoped that informal
soundlngs might develop whether
Japan would come into such a con
ference and then formal announce.
ment could be made.
u But it didn't work out that way
Mr.. Harding issued the call and gave
the facts at once to the press. Japar
might have been debating still wbeth
er to enter an International confer
ence on Far Eastern questions if tn,
discussio had been. kept secret. Will
invitations issued to the major DOW
ers of the world, Japan could not af
ford TO quibble and hesitate. sh,
was compelled by world opinion t,