The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-02-05

II the American peopfe In large ma
jority advocate such a retreat--and
Il Is fair TO assume that they do. then
there Is small ground for protest.
We shall not be attacked, / feel oer-
tain, either by Japanese or by the
British. as result OF not fortify-
ing Guam or tho Philippines and
we do not mean to attack. Therefore
policy and armament are harmo-
nised. which after all represents the
aim OF wise statesmanship.
When one comes to tho four
power treaty. covering regions OF
the Pacific, however. the situation
is n little less clear. Insofar as that
treaty pledges us not to attack any
one OF the three powers who are
signatory to the treaty. this docu-
ment falls in quite naturally with
the five-power treaty which logic
ally and historically II precedes
We agree not to attack each other
and we get rid Of private treaty
of alliance, which would hinder and
compllcate. And. one may hope, In
addition to disposing OF the Anglo
japanese treaty, we shall also get
rid of the similar F'ranco-Japanose
treaty by some method and In some
document.
But the four-powsr treaty also
provides for the conference and
consultation OF the four nations, In
case one IL threatened. To be sure
the geographical circumstances of
the treaty seem clearly dofinod--
and assume that the japanese
mainland will be excluded. yet sup
posing that In tho future Japan is
menacod by "A Chinese attack, or a
Russian attack, just what interpre-
tation Will this conference and con-
sultation provision have then? This
is the all important question.
Remember 1904.
Remember that I'm 1904 France
and Great Britain made n regional
agreement, 10 was designed 10 pre-
vent war between France and Brit
ain. II had mainly TO do with Africa
and it's chief provisions applied 70
Egypt and Morocco. Yet before the
ink on the document was fairly
dried, this agreement had led TO that
dramatic episode OF Tangiers and
Great Britain found herself on the
brink OF war with Germany. More
over, 10 years later when the world
war did come, the agreement OF
1904 represented the real claim OF
France upon Britain.
Had the agreement covering the
region OF the Pacific been open to
all parties having Pacific interests,
to China, to Russia. to Holland, as
well as to Great Britain, France,
Japan and tho United States, tho
situation would have been far diff
ferent. But under the four-po
treaty we are enterong into special
relations with one party to a war,
which is now almost inevitable.
Moreover, the fact thar we are bound
by an agreement, however Simple,
TO Japan and have no such agree
ment with Russia and China, gives
Japan the chance 70 explicit this
agreement as she did the Anglo
Japanese alliance in the years dur
ing and since the world war.
II is the fact that japanese policy
makes war almost inescapable in
the far east, not the language or the
four power pact. which seems TO me
to make for danger. One of the
chief arguments used against the
league OF nations and one OF the
most valid arguments was that Ger
many and Russia were excluded
from its membership and therefore
that II was an alliance to perpetuate
victory not to promote peace, but
In the four-power treaty we exclude
three nations, all of whom have
islands In the Pacific and two of
whom must one day soon be in
volved in war with Japan.
Admit that we shall escape being
dragged into any war, that the sem
ate, as II now plans, Will append a
reservation like that It affixed to
Article X. there Is Il further obIec-
ton. Although we are renouncing
the power and task Of defending
China, obedient, let us agree to ma
tional sentiment and having regard
for enlightened solf interest. we still
have interests IN China. We shall
suffer much loss OF prestige any
way, but what II China secs us en-
tering an arrangement with her
chief foe, while refusing to permit
her join in this agreement. which
Is publicly and probably quite ac-
curately described as no more than
a self denying ordnance
Germany saw In the Anglo
French agreement of 1904 made
chiefly TO liquidatc African dis
putes and having no European
connotation, tho first step In an
encircling policy. VIII not China
see In the four-pOwer pact final