The Washington times., 1922-01-08
4-POWERPACT
!. T|ESU.s., SAYS
Ia Toilette

American Public Will Protest A.
lance With Great Britain,
Japan and France.
In signed article In La Follette's
Magazine, United States Senator
Robert M. La Toilette strikes a
mighty blo10 at the Fo,tr-P Power Pa
'cific Alliance and predicts its repu-
diation by the American public By
an even greater protest than that
,,tohich buried IRE League Of Nations.
The article follotos:
After q preliminary study Of the
| proposed four-power treaty ! am
| convinced that President Harding
and the Senate cannot bind this
country in alliance with Great Brit
ain, France and Japan, under the
terms proposed, without revolution
airy denial Of our traditional Ameri-
can policy, surrender Of our national
; security and independence, and be-
trayal of the trust reposed in this
Administration by the American
people at the polls.
Under the cloak Of q conference
, made possible by a worldwide senti-
ment for disarmament, the diplo-
mats, representing reactionary SEN
timent in Great Britain, France.
|, Japan and the United States, have
Matched in secret a treaty OF ALI
ance which morally binds this coun-
try to 60 to war whenever the
%rights" Of any Of the high contract
ing parties in the Pacific are
threatened"
A Rash Proposal.
For the United States to enter an
alliance with the only great imperial
list nations which survived the war II
a~rash substitute for the peaceful.
antiimperialist American policy, test
ed by a century and a quarter. and
pssed upon friendship with all nations
and entangling alliances with none.
No responsible statesman in this
country has had the temerity since
the election Of 1920 to advocate an
alliance with Great Britain. The peo-
pie would not tolerate an alliance with
either France or Japan.
Yet the proposed treaty makes US
the ally Of each of these countries
and morally insures our participation
In every possible conflict which may
arise in the Pacific involving the in
terests of any Of them.
Before the conference met the lib
eral masses Of Great Britain. Canada
and New Zealand demanded that the
Anglo-Japanese Alliance be termi-
mated. The imperialists, who domi-
nate the British Foreign Office. evad'
I'D this demand. and Lloyd George
'II edicted q new alliance, including
the United States and France, within
the terms of the old agreement at the
present conference. The conference
has now taken action in consumma-
ton Of this important feature Of
Great Britain's program.
Worse Than League.
The proposed treaty has all the
fniquities Of the League Of Nations COW
enant with none Of the virtues claim
ed for that document by its advocates.
The league purported to embrace all
the nations in the world and to pre-
serve and protect the boundaries Of
each of them. The proposed alliance
is on the face Of a coalition of four
powers who at this time are best able
to dominate by force the rest of the
world.
This alliance is a challenge to
Germany, Russia and other great ma
tions now PROSTATE and will ulti-
mately drive them into a similar al
lance greatly exceeding in potential
man power the coalition to which
the United States is invited to bind
its destiny. The combined popula.
ton Of the United States, Great Brit
ain, France and Japan is less than
the total number Of unwilling sub
ject peoples in the British Empire
alone.
This treaty is couched In prac-
tically the same language and avows
the same purposes as the alliances
which paved the way for war In
1914.
Balfour, who was at the head. OF
the British government which con-
Bummated the entente between Great
Britain and France, with its secret
provisions made in contemplation Of
war, and the Anglo-Japanese alli-
ance, has been the spokesman Of
Great Britain and one of the domi-
mating figures at the conference.
This treaty will no more prevent
war than did the alliances consum-
mated prior to 1914. It will provoke
rather than prevent war. and when
we ratify II we morally bind this
country in advance to participate in
any hostilities which may arise in
the Pacific where imperialist interests
are in most heated conflict.
As I read this document, the first
paragraph Of Article binds the
United States to recognize the title
of Great Britain and Japan to the
vast territory in the Pacific seized
by these two great powers under the
treaty Of Versailles in accordance
with q secret treaty negotiated be-
tween Great Britain and Japan be.
fore our entrance into the war.
Paragraph Of Article gives the
four-power alliance jurisdl ction over
1"any controversy arising out of any
Pacific question and involving their
said rights" and vests In the four
powers the right of adjusting each
case.
Article II IL the half brother of
Article x of the League Of Nations.
II binds the United States as COM
pletely as any treaty could bind us to
take whatever efficient measures"
may be deemed necessary by the high
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