The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-07-26
|IVAS|H|IHB1'Q|lN Pats 1 !
IRATIFIED SHORTLY
,JAPAN's ACTION WILL spoN Be
n FOLLOWED BY APPROVAL By
EUROPEAN PoWERs.3s3
STATE DEPARTMlEN i PLEASED
Threat O War Win Island Empire
Has vanlshsd1 rtbsr steps for
B World Peace Are contempla ted by
4 the AdniMt cation.
s.; !. JAMES >. 2iHFIlo1RNADAY;

- SsSs".S =
Washington The State, department
has assurances that the Washington
conference treaties are shortly to Be
ratified by all the nations that par.
Eticipated in the conference, These as
Isurances heal some nervousness that
existed here. !. 5ks5s &.
Charles Evans hughes, secretary Of
state, who carried ont sPresid dent Harn>
Iing's plans for the Washington confer
fence, never doubted that Japan would
Iiratify the treaties,s but 1t is d fact
that soon after the Japanese delega-
tion returned home disc uieting reports
FROM Toxic reached the State depart
Ilm1ent. These reports dwelt on the in.
fiuence Of the military party III Japan
and reflected doubt as to whether the
two steps necessary to Japanese rati.
f1cation-the approval Of I the 4privy
council and the signature Of the prince
regent-would ever be taken. The
change in the situation came when
Admiral Baron sKatos became prime
minister ara etlared;; for the imne
date ratification Of the treaties. =
According to the State department.
too much significance cannot be at
tached to the approval Of the treaties
by Japan. It was the trying situa.
tion,in the Far East that brought about
the Washington conference. One year
ago the world was looking at the Unit.
ed States and Japan and saying that
war between these two countries with.
in the next few years was inevitable.
1T is not going beyond the bounds Of
truth to say that influential men in
public life IN the United States felt
that unless the so-called Japanese.
United States situation could be ironed
out, It would be extremely difficult for
the two nations to 60 ahead on q
peace basis. ,5..s..,i - %..s.
"Minor League Of Nations"
Il One year ago this month President
Harding and Secretary Hughes set II
motion the machinery that brought IN.
to life the Washington conference
with its worldwide results. It should
not be forgotten that Japan in rati-
tying the treaties cancels the treaty
between Great Britain and Japan,
known as the Anglo-Japanese alliance.
In place sof that treaty there appears
the treaty Y between the United
States, Great Britain, Trance sand
Japan, which Is known as the, FOUR
power treaty under which the security
Of the insular possessions Of each of
these nations In the Pacific Is guar
anteed. Thus ii place Of an alliance
between Great Britain and Japan, an
alliance which in the estimation Of the
United States was distinct menace
to this government, there appears
what some persons have preferred to
eall minor league Of nations. .sss 1,
Looking back on the work Of the
Washington conference the statesmen
throughout the world undoubtedly re
alize that the great accomplishment
was the establishment OF cordial re-
lations between the United States and
Japan. Even the California land con-
troversy, which some people would
like to keep alive, has apparently been
buried for the time being at least.
{ The treaties VIII not become opera
tive until the European nations that
are parties to them ratify, but the
State department has received salts
factory assurances that ratification In
Europe will not long be delayed. Great
Britain has already approved in. part
and will finish the work In the next
few weeks, according to advices re
ceived at the State department. France
is also ready to + 50 ahead with. rati.
fication and the understanding now Is
that reservations will probably not be
applied by the French to any of the
treaties. The small European nations
have been waiting On the great pow
ers.. - w ais1@
/ Other Peace Steps Coming.
] Time will reveal TINT the Washing
ton conference was only one Of sey-
eral important steps which the United
8States will take in the international
field-steps all designed to promote
permanent peace throughout the
world. A member Of the Harding cab
met remarked the other day that it
would be fine thing If, the, admin.
istration should record one tnteriia-
.tional step yearAone step each year
in the direction Of internat ional peace.