The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1922-03-07
TREATIESLOSE
FAVOR AS j. s.
LEARNs0R|G|N
inquiry Reveals Naval Program
and Pacific Pact Was
Framed in London.
BY EDMUND j. CLAPP.

|
The treaties framed at the Wash
ington conference are not gaining
friends as knowledge spreads that
these treaties are In effect the
ratification OF plans brought over
by the British delegates.
The proposition that we should
scrap the battleships of our 1916
naval program, now nearing com
pletion. did not arise at the late
Washington conference.
II originated two years earlier
when at the Paris conference the
British leaders warned our repre-
sentatives to abrogate our naval
preparations, saying frankly that
Great Britain intended to remain
mistress of the seas In both COM
mercial and naval power.
The threat not moving our lead
ers, and our naval construction pro-
ceeding, the British designed a pa
per naval construction program
and sent II over with Mr.. Balfour,
who traded his blueprints against
our real battleships. nearly COM
pleted. Result: The naval disarm-
ament treaty.
Merely British Crafts.
New and powerful reasons for OPP
position TO the Pacific four-power
treaty are appearing and being
added by the irreconcilahles to the
ramparts they are building against
against the attack upon our inde-
pendence. .-.
1t is being brought out. likewise,
that the four.power treaty was
! brought over by Mr.. Balfour and
grated upon the Republican. Ad-
ministration, just as the SHUTS
| League of Peace was grated upon
the Democratic Administration at
/ Paris. The gratis seem TO he es-
sentially dollhouse plants. They do
not thrive la our soil under the
! sunlight OF informed public opinion.
| The four-power treaty originated
in England months before the
Washington conference ever assem-
bled At the postwar conference
between Lloyd George and the
premiers OF the British dominions
the dominions insisted that the
| Anglo-Japanese alliance must not be
renewed unless the United States
be included. Lloyd George admitted
this situation in Parliament before
Balfour sailed for our shores.
In other words the origin of the
four-power treaty proves IL the
| RtOTuhu utSCtIll VI ttlt AlblO-
Japanese alliance.
Treaty friends say that the Anglo
Japanese alliance was aimed at us
more or less directly and that the
only way to avoid the steam-roller
was to climb aboard.
VIII Accept Amendment.
The treaty enemies deny that we
have any business bolstering up the
Anglo-Japanese alliance. or that We
have any business fearing IL If we
retain a strong navy.
They further insist tina. we could
have secured the dissolution of the
Anglo-Japanese alliance by Simply
sitting. still. The Dominions wer"
forcing its dissolution. We did not
have TO effect the dissolution by
| jumping into the cauldron.
1t is very significant 10 observe
he changed attitude of the Old Guard
Republicans toward the treaty OPP
ponents. The Republican leaders
are no longer contemptuous and i'm
patient of questions as to the com.
mitments OF the treaty. They al"
going to accept the Brandesee
amendment declaring that the alli-
ance is no alliance.
Democrats Preparing.
A good part of the Democratic
senators are sharpening pencils ant
drafting reservations to get good
and even with the Republicans for
their sport with the Versailles treaty
Senator Walsh, of Montana, is goint,
20 suggest that not only these treaty
nations should assemble and confer
when a Pacific island is aggressivcly
attacked but that the agressor and
his friends also be invited.
The object OF the Walsh amend
ment will be to thin the conference
down to the consistency of a cambri
tea party.
The treaty may fail because its
proponents will not accept the dras.
tic reservations apparently necessar!
in order to get the two-thirds vote.
1t is more likely to fail because o
growing. body in the Senate are
averse to eating with the devil, NJ
matter how long the spoon.