New-York tribune., 1921-12-16
Two Big Aims
Now Attained.
Says Sin,onds
Conference Has Achieved
Reduction i'm Present
sea Armament and Put
End to Race Of Navies
Puzzle in Japan's Status
Application Of Guaranty to
Her Mainland Believed
a Necessary Concession
By Frank ri. Simonds

BY Frank II. Simonds
| WASHINGTON, Dec. 1.-two ,levol
opmcnts of unequal interest but of ut
lenst equal Importance dominate the
discussion OF the peace conference to-
night. The first concerns the an
nouncement made by the Secretary Of
State that complete agreement had been
reached in the matter Of the naval
ratio. This agreement amounts TO a
substantial maintenance of the pro-
gram as originally presented for the
United States by Mr.. Hughes. Such
,nodihcations as have resulted, includ-
ing the saving of the Mutsu, the pres
crvation of two American ships un-
completed and the permission to
Great Britain to build two super
Hoods, do not represent more than an
arrangement which may fairly be cx-
pected to attend any negotiation of this
sort, nor do they supply any real basis
for sustained criticism.
Two great things have been accom-
piished at Washington in the matter
OF naval strength, two objectives
reaiized which were missing in all
preceded the outbreak of the World
War. We are to have cessation of
the. construction Of ships and we are
to have an enormous reduction in the
number of existing ships. Above all
we are not going to have any conf
petitive building between the three
great sea powers, and beyond all ques-
tion French and Italian strength will
be brought into harmony with the gem
eral scheme, although it is not dis
guised that this will probably take
much negotiation.
Debate New Interpretation
Far more interesting on the political
if not OH the practical side was the
discussion which to-day centered about
a statement made at the American
State Department that the four-power
treaty had been deliberately designed
to include within its purview not only
the island possessions of Japan but
also those islands which together con-
titute Japan. In other words, while
the four-power treaty as drawn does
not apply TO the mainland of the
United States, to the United Kingdom
Japanese homeland, as we'll as the
Japanese colonial possessions in the
Pacific.
Official announcement Of this fact
following various intimations and sug-
gestions to this effect already pub
lished, came as an unmis stakahle sur
prise, both about the conference and
on Capitol Hill, where speeches had al
ready been made based upon the as
islands were not covered by the lam
guage of the treaty which Senator
Lodge presented to the conference on
last Saturday.
No explanation has been vouchsafed
officiallv for the obvious difference be-
tween he application of the treaty tc
the respective nations concerned. An
effort to suggest that the United States
had undertaken to guarantee the in
tegrity Of Japan as it undertook to de-
fend France in the tripartite agree
ment made by Mr.. Wilson in Paris was
dismissed with indignant denial. II
was pointed out with obvious exactitude
that whereas Mr.. Wilson'S treaty OF
assurance bound the United States anc
Great Britain TO come to the aid OF
France militarily if she were attacked
by Germany the four-power treats
does not carry with it any commitment
to do more than consult with Japan
Great Britain and France in case
Japan is threatened.
Nevertheless, what does remain il
the dark is the reason why it was fell
necessary to give Japan infinitely
wider application Of the four-powe1
provisions than the other three nations
received, and there was much specuia
ton as to what The exact situation
might he IN fhe event of trouble be
tween restored Russia and Japan o.
between China and japan in the future
Certainly none Of the three power;
which with Japan had signed the treat,
would be bound to take any military
action or naval action to supper
Japan, but there vas All unmi stakabl'
feeling that this new and official inter
r probation opened up horizons which ha,
\
q Believed Price Of Consent
\ The most obvious explanation wa.
that Japan before agreeing to q nava
holiday or to any limi or reduc
g tion Of naval strength had insisted
upon some sort of an agreement whicl
\ would give her moral f not miIitar,
assurance against any American attacl
: not only upon her island colonies bu
= also in her home islands. 1t was fel
}. that in this stand she had been sup
= ported by the British, who recognized
= that the Anglo-Japanese treaty coul,
a not be eliminated, IS both the Unite,
States and Great Britain desired i
f should be, without Japanese assent, ant
: Japanese assent was contingent upoi
o receiving some sort of special consid
o GRAFTON such as the four-power treat,
$ actually gave.
were many reports during the negoti
ations over the four-poweg treaty tina
r there had been much difference Of opin
2 ion rs to whether in Article ", whicl
: provides for the elimination of th
k Anglo Japanese treaty after the four
G power agreement has been duly rati
: fed, the treaty should be described q
e Terminated" or "supersedcd." Th
S American representatives strenuous!,
s opposed the latter word, because i
e would suggest the replacing Of on
treaty Of alliance by another. In th
a end the American view prevailed, bu
y the incident served to suggest wha
was the Anglo-Japanese wish.
G Copyright, 1921, by the Mcclure News
s paper Syndicate.l
n n Projection Guaranty
i For InY,uy1 Not in puc