Evening star., 1921-11-14
Naval Cuts, Far East Cues
ton and Support of Senate
Vital Questions.
BY PAUL SCOTT MowRER.

ment to limit naval armament; they
must agree on the far eastern Ques-
tlon, and they must persuade the
american people and Senate to accept
tne agreements reached. OF these
ehree problems, by far the simplest
IN the opinion of most observers, is
the limitation of naval armament.
Japan has been clamoring for limita-
ton for more than year. Britain Is
no less eager. The United States was
setting the pace in the contest, and
the others. with their smaller re-
sources, were unable to keep up.
England and Japan Would Gain.
If the race continues, British naval
supremacy Is doomed, and Japan's
nnances VIII be strained to an almost
unbearable point. 1t must be borne in
mind. Furthermore. that the greater
the proportional reduction of navies.
the greater Japan's relative strength
becomes in Asia, where lie Its major
Interests =
We may safely assume. therefore.
tnat any Kind of equitable reduction
of navies will not only be accepted
by Britain and Japan. but accepted
with delight, for such q reduction is
even more to their interest than it is
to ours; Secretary Hughes proposal
mas, indeed, been received with deep
satisfaction by the other two naval
powers. There may be some tech
meal objections: the fact remaining
that only the details have now to be
worked out.
Japan will apparently not only well
come this American plan; ii will even
propose, says rumor, to make the re-
duction still more drastic by includ
ing naval bases and fortifications in
the Pacific-a step which would eff
fectIvely insure Japans far eastern
actiVitles from any American or Euro
pean interference whatever; for with
out t,os. bases fleets are ineffective. and
Europe are helpless In Asia. There
Is thus still one little dark cloud even
on this happy horizon.
i nave to laugh" one visiting .Eu-
rIopean exclaimed to me. your press
Is really too funny. The ominous
out OF sight You proceed to do the
thing that the British ambassador.
sir Auckland Geddes, has beon trv-
ing 1or a year to get you to do, and
your press halls 1t as a great blow
10 the British navy. What a comedy!"
Far East Question Pre-sminent.
But my European friend is mis-.
taken. 1t is true that neither Britain
nor Japan wants to discuss the omi-
nous far eastern question. They are
AFRAID OF 1t. They would prefer mere
20 agree TO limit navies and then
60 away; But this seems not to be
Mr.. Hughes idea. For him the far
eastern question has dropped neither
out of sight nor out of mind. MI.
hughes has never concealed that. in
his opinion, the limitation or arma-
ment must be entirely contingent ON
an agreement in far eastern matters.
Failing in one, he intimates, we shall
not have tho other. - -
For the United States to cut it's
navy, without first having procured
such an agreement. would be in ef-
rect rect TO aoandon its far eastern pol
sunlight that the crux Of the conf
ference is the far eastern question,
and that regarding this all-important
issue the world is as ignorant now
as 1t was before the conference OPEN
cd. For to discover what the Ameri-
can Secretary of State considers a
fair basis for agreement in this ques-
tion is for the present apparently i'm
possible.
"But. If you have not. at the last.
minute, abandoned your far eastern
incomprehensible." say the Europeans.
Two Courses Open.
The publication, at the outset, Of a
maximum plan OF armament limita-
tion does appear in some ways to
limit our freedom Of action in the far
eastern question. 1t would seem to
leave no middle ground. 1t obliges US
to be extremely moderate and concili-
atory, or extremely frm. Time will
reveal which of these two alterna-
tives Mr.. Hughes intends to follow.
/ have reason to believe, however,
that the Chinese, who were some-
what worried. have been reassured
at the proper source, and informed
that their questions are going to be
fully attended to.
The third problem-that Of persuad.
ing the American Senate and people
to accept the agreements reached,
which must inevitably take the form
Of treaties. and hence Of a limitation
of sovereignty-is complicated, but is
beginning TO clarity. Seeking to
learn from Mr.. Wilson'S misfortunes,
President Harding appointed the
leaders. respectively, of the democrats
and the republicans In the Senate as
members of the American delegation.
They think I can actually swing the
democratic vote" says Senator, Un-
derwood, with a laugh. But this is
not enough. The administration needs
public opinion behind it during the
conference. SPublic opinion, though
almost unanimously Suspicious of the
Japanese. gives every sign of being
far less interested in the far eastern
question than in the reduction Of naval
appropriations. There have been
prayers in the churches, resolutions
voted by organizations of every kind
in every part Of the country-resoIu-
tions and prayers dealing not with
the open door and the status of Yam
and Manchuria, but with disarma-
ment.
Seek to Arouse Public.