New-York tribune., 1922-02-07
Demonstration Of tho Moral
Power of America Most
Effective Since Victory
Of Dewey in Manila Bay
Pacific War Dogs Chained
China Assured of Full OPP
porlun;ty to Develop
Free From Interference
BY Thomas Steep

act since Admiral Dewey took the
Philippines in 1893. From the islands
of the Pacific her moral power has
been definitely extended to the Asatic
mainland Her role as the disintcr-
cstcd guardian Of Oriental peoples po-
litically weak, hitherto fixed only by
diplomatic notes, is now written con
cictely in treaty form. 1t is acknowl
edged by Japan. 1t is openly sup
ported by Great Britain 1t crowns the
State Departments past achievements
in the Far East from John Hays open
door doctrine down.
Two immediate results Of the confer
encc, although not specifically men
toned in connection with the new
treaties, arc these:
The possibility of war between the
United States and Japan is removed
to the realm Of improhablity. 1t is
inconccivably remote
Pledges are gwen to the people Of
China and to the people Of Siberia
that they may now develop free from
foreign interference and from the
svc ncighbor Japan.
War Spirit Dissiratcd
Either Of these results, to use Prcsi-
dent Hardng's words to-day, would
have justified the confercnce. Peace
with Japan is assured by the ten year
naval holiday, the four-powcr Pacific
treaty and the settlement Of other
issues. Prince TokuCawa, president of
the Japanese House of Peers, and Baron
kato Minister Of Marine, frankly as
serted that there was war talk" in
Japan before the conference began.
They were just emphatic that it had
been dlssipatcd when the spirit Of the
United States became evident Since
his return TO Toxic tho prince has told
his people that war is now "beyond the
dream Of possibility Just az conf
dent A feeling prevails in The councils
Of the American government
But where American prestige is now
most conspciously en- phasized is in
China. Japan has yielded unrcscrvedlv
her former posit on that she Mad "spc
ciaI rights" of an exclusive character
there and that she should exercise a
kind of Ear Eastern Monroe Doctrine
over Chinese affairs. Less than five
years ago Count lshii urged the State
Dcpa rtmcnt to recognize that Japan
had the same responsibility in the
Orient as the United States assum cs
toward Latin America. No such pre-
tensions are cnte rtaincd by Japan to-
day. She has signed nine-power
treaty definitely surrendering her spc-
clal rights including the most opprcs-
Sive ones contained in the twenty -onc
demands, and she has signed another
giving Shantung back to China
American Policy Established
Two months ago even the Chinese
did not expect to get" half as much
"a they actually have obtained. China
alone would have been helpless. 1t
was the United States, by her open
door policy Of 1898, by protest made
seven years ago when the demands
were imposed by Japan and then hv
her sheer moral power at the confer
encc, that put China son her feet. -
The result is that after twcnty-four
years the Anne rcan policy. at first ig-
nored and then fought against. has
finally been approved and adopted by
all the powers.
it. Formerly she relied on the Anglo
Japanese alliance. Great Britain
swung over to the attitude Of the
United States in the belief that the
spoliation Of China as an internatio
policy was no longer tolc rabIc, that a
divided and weak China was not an
asset but a responsibility AVID that
the sooner China became prosperous
the better. Hence the Anglo-J apancse
alliance was scrapped. It was super
seded by the four-power treaty, and
Japan had no alternative other than
to swing around to The American view
point, which she hithe rto steadily had
rejected. Arthur ]. Ba1four made it
known that Great Britain henceforth
intended to support the United States
in Pacific problems and that Japan
could come IN or stay out.
Japan Accepts Doctrine
Having ell, ed to come in," Japan
through her clcgates lost no time in
aband oning every claim she had on
China that seemed to he in fiat viola
ton of the Hay doctrines. She agreed
to give up the former leasehold on
Kiao-chau long before the Shantung
controversy was taken up in direct ne
gotiotions. She surrendered the great
er part Of the twenty-oue demands
She ceased to talk of Especial rights
and assented willingly to propositions
by the other powers in reference to
Nn10eSc pOSCOmCeS, customs, wireless
stations and troops. Finally, she ac-
ccpted The whole American doctrine as
embodied in the nine-power Chinese
treaty signed to-day.
Cons dered from the Chinese point
Of view. the removal of foreign control
provided for in the treaty and the up
ward revision Of the Chinese tariff
sanctioned by a special treaty will have
prompt and momentous influence on
China's internal affairs In the opinion
Of the Chinese delegates the reforms
viii tend to convince the Chinese people
that their only hope lies in central
government capable of putting to use
the advantages gained at Washington
The military chiefs must be Disposed
their armies. aggregating 100000 use
less soldiers who consume one-half Of
the country's revenues, must be dis
banded. the Canton and the Picking
governments must unite, the Parlia
mcnt must function and the welter OF
foreign complications due TO debts
must be disentanglcd.
The first promising sign that comes
from China as a reflex from the Wash
ington conference is that the Chinese
people appear to be satisfied with the
Shantung settlement.
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For Obregon Demanded