Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-12-02
JAPAN DEMANDING
INCREASE OF RATIO.
Corrigedor Island, in the Philip
pines, a Point of Sig
nificance.
WHAT JAPAN MAY DEMAND
by Charles Brewer Farmer, Editor Of
Every Evening.

Special Dispatch 10 Every Evening.
Washington, Dec. 2.-One OF the
worlds greatest diplomatic games is
being played behind the closed doors
of the Conference on Limitation Of
Armaments.
Pescadores!
Corrigedor,
Those are names which mean little
II anything. TO the average person.
Yet they are words Of vast import in
Tokyo. and Washington. And they are
words which are enscribed on the face
/ o. the trump cards which Japan and
the United States win play--possibly
today. behind those closed doors Of the
/ Pan American Union building.
Two days ago I stated in these
columns that the delegates had agreed
tentatively definitely-upon
the 5-5-S-22 n9val armament ratio.
In that article ! said that at the neyt
plenary session the world would be
informed that the Five Great Powers
had agreed on the limitation OF naval
armament UNLESS at the last mo-
nlent some nation presented unusual
demands.
Twelve hours afterward the Asso-
ciated Press flashed the news thai
Japan had made a last minute demand
to Mr.. Balfour and Mr. Hughes. 4
wit: that Japan's naval ration be in
creased from go 60 20 per cent Of tina
OF the two greater Powers. The dut,
of the Associated Press is to tell yo,
what happens. The duty of others 8
to interpret.
Japan is demanding an increase il
her ratio, But Japan will accede t
} the Hughes proposals for naval arm
ament limitation. If the United State
will-but before we go further, TAX
out your map Of the Far East.
, Look at the map Of the Philippines
: especially Luzon. Find Manila Bay
, where Admiral Dewey made the Unit
{ ed States a world power. Just beyon
l the entrance TO Manila Bay--if you
map is large enough-you will fin
, Corrigedor Island. Batteries pIante
there fired upon Dewey as he attacke
4 Cervevas feet.
Today Corrigedor Island is tn
!. IIeligoland, the Gibraltar of the Fa
4 East. 1t is one of the most powerfl
r fortresses in the world. Quietly, fo
n years. the United States Governmer
: has been fortifying that rocky piec
Q Of land. 1t is the key 10 the entranC
d to the Philippines. If attacked fror
d the sea. it's garrison could hold out fC
is months at least. If approached
way OF Luzon, perhaps not quite s
long.
Corrigedor Island has been thor
in the flesh of diplomatic Japan (,
r years. Likewise it has been the terr,
! which japanese militarists have ne
1 UP to the peasants whenever they hav
taken money needed for roads, schoo
,f and railroads, and applied it to Il
auilding of more battleships. 1t W,
the great incentive toward the col
struction of that giant of supe
dreadnaughts the Mutsu. which HI
. been such a bone OF contention in III
'e Conference.
- Japan is ready TO accede 10 4
is Hughes proposals. providing that t
n United States will dismantle the {
tenslve fortihcations on Corriged
a. Island, and not continue fortificati
q work in Guam. Japan is willing. b
cause Corrigedor is far more than I
ne protective fertilization of Manila Ba
ce 1t is naval base OF tremendous il
rs States were imperialistically inclined
40 endanger the whole of Japan, and I
TO shrewd Admiral Baron Kato, {
ne bland but brainy Prince Tokugav
d. know that fun well. Therefore tn
ny make their demands.
10 The United States is ready TO Z
Sc cede to that demand, provided Il
as Japan will dismantle her fortlhcatic
IN on the Pescadores islands.
ne Again look at your map Of the /
,is East. Find the island of Forno
Then look TO the left. II your map
n large enough. you will see immedlat
ns 10 the left of Formosa a string
ies islands-they seem TO be hardly m
,sr than atolls. Those are the Pescador
si- To the left, and a little below
nd Pescadores, YOU win ind Engl
Hongkong. Above Hongkong is Shal
ns hai, and above Shanghai, ON your m
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