The Washington herald., 1922-02-05


longer question what Japan did ac-
tuaIIy choose to do. The whole
history Of the conferenceseso far
as 1t relates 10 the maitland OF
Asia, indicates that Japan has NOT
the smallest intention of retiring
either from Manchuria or from ST.
IBERIA. except when such a retire
ment shall suit her own policy, and
judged by explicit announcement she
now makes with respect Of Siberia,
this time Is hardly likely to arrive.
Jnpan's Case UnexeeDtSsnal.
.JRpsn's case. up to the moment
Of the Washington Conference was
not singularly bad. She had done
many evil things so far as China
was concerned. but. looked at dis
passionstely. she had only done
what Great Britain, France. Ger
many and Russia had done in the
past. The real argument one could
make against Japan was that she
was doing in the Twentisth Cen
tury. what other great powers had
done frequently in the Nineteenth.
Let IL be noted. this was one OF
- the chief indictments Of Germany,
who was able to md In . past
more on less remote parallels for
all she did in the world war.
when the conference began At
least two European countries were
cAmped upon Chinese territories,
namely Britain and France. Even
here we must recognize that Japan
did not lack a western example for
her policy, for. IL France offered to
quit Kwangchau Wan and Britain
declared herself ready to abandon
Wei Hei Wei, provided Japan
would quit Shantung, Britain.
through Mr.. Balfour promptly an
nounced that she meant to stay In
Kowloon. where her presence rest
ed upon an invasion Of Chinese IN
tegrity quite as recent as any Jap
anese.
On the larger side, however,
speaking territorially. only Japan
occupied large areas of Chinese
territories, or still disclosed by ac-
tIon a purpose to make still furth-
er advances. what was Of utmost
Importance. what everyone waited
for, was a sign that Japan came TO
Washington ready to renounce her
policy of occupation and invasion
in China. On this rested all real
hope of making the Warrington
Conference a far-shining episode IN
Chinese history and. the beginning
Of the creation OF stable conditions
On the Asiatic mainland.
Unaninoss Action Necessary.
1t is true that not a few Ameri-
cans expected of their representa-
tIves in the conference that they
would be able to gain for China
some far reaching Improvement.
some actual liberation OF territory
on a large scale. But this was to
misunderstand the true situation
in the conference, to misunder-
stand it as fully and completely as
IL was misunderstood later in the
case of the Anglo-French dispute
over the submarine. The bottom
fact OF every international confer
ence is and must remain the cir
cumstance that all action must be
by unanimous consent. Unless we
were prepared TO take up arms for
China, we could only obtain for her
that measure of relief which was
voluntarily agreed to by all con-
cerned.
II. as Mr.. Balfour insisted. Brit
ain was resolved to hold on to kow-
loon, then. despite the fact that this
was a resolve out of harmony with
American conceptions. our delegates
were bound to bow before British
purpose. IL. in the same way, ia
pan was determined to stay In Man
churia and in Siberia, then there
was no remedy. nothing that could
be done but to pass to the next
question on the sgends.
But what II was vital to know
was whether peace in the Far East
could be established upon solid
basis. Obviously IL Japan stayed in
Manchuria, IL she remained In 81
IBERIA then the question Of ultimate
war was not to be debated. No man
could say or can say when that war
will come, but the sure thing was
and is, that whenever China or
Russia feels herself strong enough
to drive the invader out war must
come.
sttuatfsn Like Fr.nee-BelEian.
In China we have the situation In
so-S9)ed peace. which we had IN
FraSce and Belgium during the last
war. Then the Germans occupied
many departments OF France and
most of Belgium. At certain stages
of the, conflict IL seemed possible
that there might be peace, without
the liberation Of Belgium and North
ern France, peace following allied de-
feat and made upon German terms
But the whole world knew that such
a peace could not endure beyond the
moment when France and Belgium,
aided perhaps by other countries
Would seek to expel the invader.
Now when the last. document.
which includes the work OF the
Washington conference, is duly
sfgned-and ratified. for that mat
ter, Japan will stih have armies on
Chinese and Siberian soil. These
armies will be there because Japan
IA strong and Russia and China
weak. But their presence will be
an ever-patent promise OF ultimate.
war. Therefore, and this fact seems
to me all essential, the Washington
conference will not establish con-
aitlon OF stable equilibrium In the
Far East. Again, 1 say. this Is not
ia DC charged against our, delegates,
Who could only have promoted such
ap end by war.
As between the United States and
Great Britain the Washington con-
ference has promoted peace. No one
believes war between the two coun-
tries was at all likely. but a COM
petition in Daval armaInents was
inminsat and a competition in
armament is always a dangerous
tRins. As between the United Statos
aud Japan, naval eompetition has
hssn sysrted. war has been At least