The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-11-03
Keeping 'iOben Door" open
in China a Big Problem

rity and political independence of member
states in the league of nations including
China, the query is whether enough water
has gone over the dam to make President
Harding and Secretary Hughes ready TO
apply the doctrine or article 10 to China.
Must Prevent War
Back of it all is a desire to prevent war.
In favor of the guarantee of Chna's ter
ritorial integrity is the argument that if
/ all the powers including Japan sign on
the dotted line a pledge to let China alone,
the agreement win never have to be en-
| forced. it is the same line of thought
which actuated Mr.. Wilson in urging
article 10, namely that profession of
respect for territorial integrity made in
formal treaty would be too difficult u
hurdle for any nation to Jump no matter
how strong might be her militaristic Gle
ments or how far gone might be her
ambitious statesmen.
The drawing up of a treaty or conven-
ton which would insure all nations the
"OpeH door and pledge all countries TO
respect China'S territorial and political
integrity is the big aim of the conference.
When once such a compact is in effect,
what use would the AngIo-Japa hese alIi-
ance be- Great Britain might be reluc-
tant to take the initiative in abrogating
it, but other powers would not hesitate to
ask for the Incorporation of a provision
stating that all agreements and alliances
or understandings entered into heretofore
which may be inconsistent with the new
treaty shall be automatically considered
as denounced or abrogated, That would
save England the necessity of denouncng
the alliance and would absolutely remove
any obligation ON the part of Britain to
come to the defence of Japan in the event
of future trouble in the Far East
Question Value of Treaty.
To all this the anti-Japanese elements
in our own country, a well as in the
European powers, shake their heads
obviously. What good, say they, is any
treaty with Japan? She has adopted,
they claim. the German political system.
What the foreign Office may say is no
doubt sincere, but what the military party
does is the important thing. Feeling that
Japan is ruled by a military clique. that
the Japanese general staff does what If
pleaScs with the cdicts Of the Japanese
foreign office, just as the German general
staff used to ride raughSh0d over the for
eign Office and the German admiralty made
a scrap of paper out Of the pledges Of the
German foreign secretary, there Is little
faith on the part of some of our army
and navy folk in the value of any treaty
or compact.
Suspicion and mistrust is a hard thing
to combat III runs ali through the
Japanese hineSe controversy. aS well as
our own relations with the Far East. But
the United States government cannot
officially take cognizancc of that mistruSt
1t is true our army and navy officers who
have been in the East constantly talk
about il, The truth is enough confirma-
ton of Japanese militariSm has come TO
Washington 90 convince the most Skepti- /
cal that there must be something back Of
it all and that it behooyes America to be
prudent.
Want to Ease Japan.
The japanese foreign office whose good
faith il not being questioned thus has
problem on its hands which everyone
here is anxious "a make easier When
the japanese government employs Ameri
can advisers and American newspaper
men a. Publicity agents, there is no frown- 4
ing on the part of our officials. No. the
hope is that every opportunity viii be
given the Japanese government and people
to see that America is not anxious for
war, not anxious for the building up of
iuceSsant mistrust and controversy but
wants a cleanup of tangleS and disputes
which have led To the rapid rise of
mischievous lingo spirit in both Japan
and the United States.
1t is not entirely n political problem
For America il has an important firau-
cial aspect. Not more than q year ago,
Thomas w. Lamont Of j. II. Morgan &
Co. went 20 China and Japan and with
the moral support Of our department OF
state negotiated an agreement known as
a 'c1nSortium" whereby the capitalists of
Great Britain, France. Japan and the
United States agreed to 4 cprtain-Set of
principles for the financing Of enterprises
in China. IL was another step i'm the omen
door policy of the United States Every
body knew England didn't have much
capital available and that even though
other powers were included in the agree
ment to make it more impressive the
bankers OF Japan and the United States
alone We're concerned. But capital has
not been forthcoming 50 easily. Why
should money flow to n region of the
world where political conditions are un-
settled?
Treaty a Great Help.
To make the consoritum worth while. n
political compact between nations has
been deemed essential The agreement to
come out Of the forthcoming conference
whether it be a treaty or convention viii
be OF immense value a moral Sunnort
TO the consortium. There are valuable
resources in China which American cant
tai would like to help develop-railways
and mines. Americans have been com
planning for years that they were not
given the same backing by their govern
ment in the Far East as is given the cit-|
izens of Great Britain or Germany or
| France. The new compact with reSppct
70 the Far East is designed To remove
inequalities and give the American an
equal chance.