The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-02-12
ELFISH INTERESTS RESTRICTED PARLEY'S WOR]


upon these and frankly no ono
could devise way TO fix a limit.
You may think OF the Washington
conference as a great outpouriug
OF idealism, certainly It did cali forth
great expression OF idcalistic
hopes. The same was equally true
OF Paris. But II you analyzo either
conference you must see that what
was actually accomplished repre-
sented not idcalistIo experiments hut
sound business transactions accom-
panied not by generous gestures but
by unmistakable bargaining. And
what In most likely To endure is
precisely the thing that was arrived
at by the most intricate bargaining,
namely the establishment OF con-
dition OF peace I'm the region OF tho
Pacific ocean through naval adjust
ments and agreements not to fortify
insular possessions.
Britain Stays Put.
Britain did not want to get out
of China at the sacrifice OF very
great material interests and she
stays on in Hong Kong and kowloon.
We were not In China and we could
advocate general retirement. France
| did not want TO reduce her army
value, we had no need OF any army,
no German neighbor and no repara-
| tions problcm--so wo could advo-
| cato reduction. But the French
army survived our criticism and the
! British assault. Japan still be-
| lives in the German idea. which she
Is applying 20 tho mainland OF Asia,
but abe did not want TO risk certain
dangers incident to alternating Brit
ain and the United States. so she
retircs from Shnntung and sticks in
Siberia and ManChurla. But both
concession and refusal 10 concedo
show calculation not the presence
Of new spirit.
There were moments In the Wash
intogn conferencc--and my readers
will remember / called attention to
several at the time--when Il seemed
as if Mr.. Hughes would be wrecked
where Mr.. Wilson had been. And
on each occasion the real peril grew
out OF the apparent conviction on his
part that there was a new spirit in
the world, not a new estimate of
existing conditions. Mr.. Wilson as
sumed that European nations were
ready TO lay aside old jealousies and
rivalrles and selfish estimates OF ma
sumption led to n dlsagreeable
awakening. Mr.. Hughes was SINH
larly involved In the Anglo French
dispute here, which was fought over
the submarine, but really involved
all the conflicting policies in Europe.
Similar assumptions In tho matter OF
Japanese policy in Siberia and China
led to similar dangers and disillu-
sionments.
Dangers Not Decreased.
Beyond all else the American peo-
pie ought TO see that limited dis
armament has not affected the dan
gers OF future conflict, but the de-
sire to avoid future conflict as be-
tween Japan. the United States and
Great Britain has led to the limita-
tion OF armament with the question
OF finance serving as further pow
erful incentive. what triumphed at
Washington was not idealism but
common sense concerned with the
most material questions and that. l
am confident, will be its enduring
claim to remembrance. All interna-
tional relations are necessarily
dominated by material interests. all
international Conferences have more
the character OF bargain than spirit
uality and without exception the
more equal the bargain, the more
enduring have been the results.
II the other great powers were as
detached in their homelands as the
United States and Great Britain, II
they were islands or remote conti-
nents--it would be relatively sim
pie matter to establish peace on the
basis OF the Washington conference.
provided all were equally capable OF
self defense. But the thing would
be a business transaction founded
on the sense OF security which each
nation felt. so far as its own safety
was concerned.
The trouble Is that there Is no
common sense In continental Eu-
ropc--that II no community In the
same sense. There is an incredible
amount of ideallsm, at least as
much as In ehUnitcd States or