The New York herald., 1922-02-05
Japan Put Squarely OH Rec
ord as Modifying Her Ex-
pansion Policy.
SIBERIA ALSO PROTECTED
Balfour Declares New Era is
Rcaehed-NIrs. Harding and
Mrs. Coolidge Attend.
BY LOUIS sEIBOLD.

New York Herald Bureau,
Washington, ID. c.. Feb. 4.
Solemn pledges were made to-day
by the nine most important Powers
tc cooperate for the maintenance of
peace on land and on sea.
These pledges have been reduced
to treaties clearly setting forth the
obligations of the nations partici-
pating in the most momentous inter-
national conference ever held.
The instruments will be signed
under impressive circumstances on
Monday in the presence Of the Presi-
dent of the United States, who will
pass judgment on the great under
takings accomplished and express
the gratitude of the American people
for the services rendered by the Gov
ernments of Great Britain, France,
Italy, Portugal. Belgium, Holland,
Japan and China.
Session Lasts Three Hours.
The speed with which the actual
work of the conference was accom-
plished in a good natured and busi-
nesslike three hour session of the
conference to-day leaves little to be
done beyond the signing of the
treaties.
Almost the entire session Of the
conference was devoted to providing
: new bill OF rights for ancient and
helpless China. The sole reference
made to agreements already con-
summated was in the nature of a
treaty supplementing the four Powcr
agreement on the part OF the United
States, Great Britain, France aad
Japan.
The effect of this interpretatve in
strument was to dispose of the OBJ
jections raised by critics OF the four
Power treaty by clearly setting forth
the fact that the Japanese homeland
is not included within the terms OF
The original instrument.
shacISIes Taken on China.
Aside from this the conference pro-
vided the majority of the delegates
and all OF the audience with an OPP
portunity to express their sympathies
for tho aspirations of the Chinese
people toward capable and modern
government. Before the session was
concluded protection was guaranteed
to China against the aggressions os
more powerful neighbors and the
shackles of subjugation struck from
her hitherto helpless limbs. 1t was
indeed China's day in court. The
most momentous in her ancient and
picturesque history.
The open door" ceased to be n
chauvinistic phrase and became a
fact. II was made TO swing both
ways, to give China an outlet to its
friends among unselhsh nations, and
to let the traders of the world into
her markets on equal footing. 1t is
quite probable the delegates repre-
senting the empire Of Japan found
little cause for qualification in the
scope and phrasng of the charter
written for China by the interns.
tional conference. despite the felicita-
tions that favored the comment Of
the representative OF the Mikado's
Government in accepting the new
conditions.
japanese Attitude sincere.
IN writing the new charter for Cl,iEa
the conference put Japan sauareiy on
record to abandon TIE. assertion of
policies which have given offenss 10
most OF the peoples of Asia. Tic
japanese Government committed it.
self TO the curtailment OF these policies
with an apparent sincerity that could
not have been hoped for a few years
ago.
Tho record OF Japanese undertak-
ings on the Asiatic mainland was fuzzy
and comprohensively revealed in the
statement Of the dissenting policies Of
tho United statcs Government. Tic
pledges or Japan TO withdraw its mill
tary forces from northeastern Asia
were accepted at their face value. but
In official phrases that clearly re-
vealcd the conviction that there must
be no further evasion or equivocation
in doing so.
The agreement to return Shantuns