The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1922-01-18
TWO COUNTRIES
BETTER FRIENDS
acknowledgements \ Situation I'M
proved, Says KatO. Critics are Silent.

proved, Says Kato. Critics are Silent.
New York, Jan. 4.-The advance
ment Of Amcrican-Japanese friendship
has been signally promoted by the
Washington conference, Admiral Baron
Tomosaburo Kato, senior Japanese
delegate to the conference, said to-
night in an address before the Japan
society
I'm q few short weeks" he added,
we have dissipated the clouds that
marrcd the naturally clear and happy
skies of the Pacific"
"Two months ago. Baron Kato con
tinued, eve heard loose talk Of pos
sible war. Today, we are contemplat-
ing an established peace. Early in
November the newspapers frequently
used such phrases as conflict OF in
terests,' supremacy Of the seas and
'menacing aggressions; today they
are talking more in terms of under
stand accord and cooperation and
the principal criticism of Japan nova
days is that she does not agree quite
so quickly rs you make proposals for
|accord.
''Nor is this, my friends. only
phraseology. Critics may say that
such declarations as we have been
making in Washington were made
hundred years ago at Vienna, and
subsequently at The Hague, and there
fore will amount to nothing But that
is not the case, for very definite rea-
sons. In the first place, the several
nations represented in Washingtd,A
have given, by tho concessions they
have made to the views Of others,
tangible demonstrations Of the earn
estncss OF their intentions. Unless
the spirit that actuates the people Of
these nations were deep-rooted in sim
cerc desire, these concessions would
not have been possible. Fortunately,
the interests and the desires Of the
greater nations Of the world are in
accord; otherwise, the scrapping Of
hundreds Of thousands Of tons OF
fighting ships would not be practica-
bic or acceptable.
Il want particularly to draw your
attention to one fact An effort has
been made for a number OF years to
present Japan to you as a military
nation designing to dominate the Pa
ciac. Some of us Japanese have tried
to disabuse the minds OF those who
'wero wont to believe this calumny. but
with many the charge remained un-
refutcd up to the present conference.
Within these recent weeks, Japan, by
accepting the 5-5-3 ratio has given
evidence which only the weak minded
will in future dispute and at the same
time this ratio is also assurance that
you have no intention Of assaulting
us. We have never aspired or intend
ed to challenge the security OF Ameri-
ca or her far-ranging possessions; we
have sought only security for our
selves. Never have we desired war;
nation that is the greatest purchaser
of our goods and at the samo time the
most powerful naval factor on the Pa
ciiic."
Admiral Kato declared that the
naval agreement to limit to the con-
|struction Of offensive or capital ships,
although it does not totally destroy
the physical equipment for war at
sea, does effectively remove from the
rotations of the great naval powers
the distrust attendant on naval COM
petition. This means. he said, not
only economic relief from a heavy
burden of taxation, hut an even more
important spiritual relief. This re-
Ivival of deccncy in the world no add
ed, "is strengthened by tho adoption
Of laws governing the use Of subma-
rines, the decision Of the nations not
to develop their Pacific bases, and the
evident determination generally to re-
strict arms and threat Of arms