New-York tribune., 1921-11-14
S shanghai Correspondent
Says the Indications Now
Are That Paris Mistakes
Will Not Be Repeated
Fears Counter Proposals
Hopes. However, British and
Japanese Will Follow
Hughes's Statesmanship
By K. P. Wang

unwelcomed results of the il!-formu-
lated Versailles Treaty. whether the
Washington parley would be repetis
tion of the Paris conference. Ths
views about this question all around
the world, including those in the United
States and particularly those in China,
have been mostly of pessimistic ma
Iure. The tone of the noble address
made by President Harding and the
method with which Secretary Hughes
tackles the disarmament program, as
witnessed in the opening session of the
arms conference last Saturday, have,
however, effectively checked this wave
of pessimism and partly solved the
universal puzzle
Those who are accustomed to the
old school of diplomacy and who are
under the flags of imperialistic govern
ments have never dreamed that the
United States would dare to make such
a bold move, and those who unfortu-
nately belong to the so-called weaker
nations" who have been one way or
the other maltreated by foreign powers
and who witnessed the American dipo-
matte failure in Paris three years ago
have never thought that the United
States would announce such a dramatic
policy in the very first session of the
conference. Nor did they think Presi-
deat Harding and Secretary Hughes
represented different type of diplo-
mat than ex-President Wilson and his
followers represented. The new phi
losophy of conducting international
gatherings that the United States has
just ushered in has certainly set the
world going.
Secretary Hughes, by his direct,
clear-cut and business-like presenta-
tion of the American disarmament
policy, has given to the diplomatic
world at least one valuable LESSON:
that is, diplomacy is nothing but
business transaction, and that unless
everybody puts his cards on the table
with face UP nc good results can be
expected. The effect produced by his
speech was as farreaching as it was
interesting. When he was presenting
the American plan of naval reduction
for the world the faces of delegates of
all other nations showed a variety of
expressions. rs Mr.. Hugl,ess plan
was outlined, all of a sudden, unan-s
nounced and unexpected, the expires
sions- on the delegates faces also
changed quickly. uncomfortable and
unconcealable. Many of them voiced
their appreciation and approval of Mr..
Hughes's plan; but it is more than
certain that most of these voices are
only dlpiomatlc, and not from the
bottom OF their hearts. IN all prob
ability, the approval expressed by dele
gates OF small powers is genuine and
representative; but they are small
powers representatives and their voices
DO not amount to much anyhow.
Among the delegates present, the
British and. the Japanese must have
received the greatest surprise. Though
both of them have declared that Mr..
Hughes's plan is acceptable and agree
able to them, they are more or less at
loss now as to what kind of stand
they should take and whether they
should follow or adopt the new method
OF diplomacy as introduced by Mr..
Hughes.
1t is reported that they are now
Waltlng for home instructions before
oney can decide to accept or not. and
IL is feared that their home govern
inents VIII make counter proposals so
unreasonable and impracticable that
the United States cannot agree to thew
IL is feared that the British will saw that
the proportion of naval reduction be-
tween Great Britain and the United
states as proposed by Mr. Hughes is
not lair, and therefore should be so
rearranged that the United States
should scrap more ships that she pro-
poses and that Great Britain should
have much bigger navy than America.
1t Is feared that Japan will turn around
and say that japan would agree to this
proposal provided America would agree
to dlsmantle all the fortifications. both
military and naval, on the western
coast and in the Pacific Ocean. It is
1urcner reared that Great Britain and
Japan might form secret understand
ing between them before they take any
aehnlIe actlon regarding the American
pan. pan however, let us all hope that
that both Great Britain and Japan will
follow Mr. Hughess statesmanshin
We cannot forecast lust now as N
the ultimate success or failure of the
conference. But the omens we have
now are bright and hopeful. Mr.. Hughes
mas taken a noble step in the begin
ning; the whole world now hopes he
VIII continue to take such noble stems
as tue conference goes on. We are all
hoping That when the Far Eastern prob
iems are brought up before the CON
ference he will also use the same
method of directness and clear-cutness
and lay down on the table whaf
americas policy is and ask the other
powers to do the same thing.
8 we people IN China have great con-
hdence and trust in the United States
a. as the champion of fair play and ius-
1lce. In spite of the undesirable and
aostrlmental Shantung decision which
mr. wilson so arbitrarily made in
Ir,aris. we still have great faith in
" asnlngton and America. Every mem
Der OF the Chinese delegation to the
conference immediately after the meet
ing OF Saturday expressed great salts
.act,onS ana admiration at the way Mr..
augnes handled the disarmament uues-
tion. Some of them ente erta;ned tba
tear, and are still entertaining it. that
Mr.. Hughes would treat the Far Fast
ern questions with different meth
Cd, Just as Mr.. Wilson handled the
Shantung dispute differently than
ne handled the Fiume issue, but most
of them said that such a fear ia I'M
The fact that this conference ;s not
called for the purpose of making
settlement OF any war, bat gather To-;
She purpose of preventing the recuz-
renee OF wars will deny Japan anv
shance of threatening to quit the con-
terence this time. Such tactics of
threat cannot be repeated. At least
7 would not fool the Americans again.
Moreover, the atmosphere here in this
country is SO full of democratic and
LIBERAL thought, the public opinion of
America IS so strong, and the Senate
u the United States is so near to the !
conference room that the Japanese
delegates would not be able to make |
my threat that would scare ANYBODY. I
certainly, Mr.. Hughes has seen the |