Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-06-14
BUCABOO Of WAR
WITH JAP ANE:SE: IS
OBSESS|NC CAPITAL
by ROBERT r. SMALL
Ueased Wire Service to The Journal.)
(Gnnvrirnt 1901

Qeased Wire Service to The Journal.)
Copyright, 1929
WASHINGTON, June lit is
useless to deny that behind the re-
sistance to the reduction Of the army
and navy this week; behind the re-
sistance to direction to President
Harding to summon Immediately a
Observation-Disclosures, has lowered
the bugaboo of a possible war with
Japan.
This bugaboo has taken possession
of the navy and army, and it will
take heroic measures to eradicate it.
During the week a number of dis
tinguished officers fthe military
services have made addresses in
which they have declared they could
see war Gin the offing." No less a
person than the distinguished Sec
rotary Of war. Mr.. Weeks has de-
clared that he was conscious of fe-
verish war preparations ain certain
quarters"
Added to all of this is the fact
that orders quietly have gone for
ward for a concentration of the great
naval strength of the United States
in the Pacific ocean. No longer will
the Atlantic be the base of the bat
navy's uper-dreadnoughts, magnifi-
cent steel fortresses with sixteen
inch guns bristling from their pro-
tected decks, the greatest guns ever
f1oated on the sea. have been ordered
to tn Pacific as rapidly as completed
and put in commission.
1t is the fixed judgment of the adj
ministration that the Pacific and not
the Atlantic is to solve the question
of war or peace in the next genera
ton.
Naval Activity
There has been no official an
nouncement to that effect, but the
trend toward augmentation OF the
Pacific fleet and diminution of the
process or directed. The new bat
tleship Tennessee already is en- route
to the Pacific. The California, which
will be placed in commission at
assigned to the Pacific fleet. The
Maryland, nearing completion at
Newport News, will be hurried to
the Pacific as soon as commissioned.
The Maryland will be the first mod
ern vessel carrying sixteen-inch guns
to be commissioned in the American
navy. Orders constantly are going
forward for the augmentation of the
Pacific forces, but there are no or
ders for Withdrawals from that al
ready preponderant fleet.
When the Atlantic fleet, under
Admiral Wilson, came to northern
waters short time ago from its
spring maneuvers, it was quickly de-
monstrated that the personnel was
saturated with the idea that eyes
must be turned to the PACIFIC for the
next great naval conflict: This idea
apparently has taken hold in WASH
ington. 1t has run through the de-
partmentS of the navy and the army.
1t has reached out to Capitol Hill
and possessed the military and naval
committees Of house and senate,
President Harding has not been
unconscious of this trend of thought
He felt the significance of it long
before he came to Washington last
March to take the oath of office
When he was in Florida last win
situation between the United States
and Japan and hoped to be able soon
to relieve it. He felt that first Of
all he must find a diplomat of long
experience, of cool head and I'M
questioned judgment, as his ambas-
sador to the Japanese court. Thus
far he has sbeen unable to fill the po-
sition TO his satisfaction. The prcsi-
dent has felt that in the Far East
| might lie some Of the most intricate
problems he would have to solve and
it has been his purpose to place in
the embassy at Toxic, in the legation
at Picking, and in the gubernatorial
chair at Manila, three able men VINO
might easily hold the destinies Of the
| nation in their hands. Only ore OF
the three has been chosen, Jacob
Gould Schurman, one-time president
of Cornell university, as minister to
China. Leonard Wood was wanted
for executive in the Philippines. but
declined.
Some Sane Thought
But despite all this warlike atmos-
phere at the national capital, there
is an undercurrent Of sane thought
which argues that the possibility Of
war with Japan is too remote to be
| seriously considered. 1t is sanely
| figured that war could come only
the part of Japan Even the most
| aDprehensive officers Of the army and
| navy admit this 1t is their favorite
| theory that japan would make a
islands and dare the United States
| to come and retake them. They fig
ure that he sphere of operations
would be in the far Pacific and it is
| only a fantastic few who predict
that Japan would attempt to land a
force on this continent. 1t would,
! instead, be the oriental idea TO en-
| barrass the United States by takin 6
| from her her principal Pacific pos
session and holding it as a ransom for
! recognition of the racial equality of
| the Japanese The American Destroy
! err forces at Cavite are being con-
| stantly enlarged.
| 1t is difficult to figure with pencil
| ana paper how Japan would dare risk
| a struggle with the United States.
Subtle Japanese propaganda has led
70 the belief in this country that
Japan is a miracle nation" capable
| Of accomplishing the super-normal in
, any thing she might undertake. ia
panese propaganda has spread the re-
! port that the English would be
bound in honor" to support Japan
in any militery enterprise she might
undertake, especially since Japan
had shown her good faith in going to
the assistance Of her British ally in
| the war with Germany.
Yet how insignificant svas the
help Japan rendered in the war! She
saw no fighting whatever. on land
or sea- She seized some Of the Ger
man islands in the Pacific and sent
some destroyers to the Mediterran-
! can to help combat the German sub
| marines, and this action on her part
| generally is regarded as having been
| agreed to only when Britain had
pr omised she should have Shantung
SO far as the vital western front