Evening star., 1925-02-01
APAN USED AS BAIT.
HARDEN BELIEVES
Considers Treaty With Soviet
Negotiated to Lure United
States and Britain.

WITH his rGdtogranl today Mart
n tltdn Harden enters upon more
srtcnSjre field in his tC1itin0S. under
a HFtD arrangement to broaden the
scope Of his trork. Mr. Harden tciH
discuss not only German politics, but
tporld affairs generally from the riet0-
point OF central Europe.
BY MAXIMILIAN HARDEN.
p Radio to The Star
AMSTERDAM. January S1.-Hughes
or Borah-splendid isolation or of
fhial boration-America's self
made destiny does not seem to allow
her completely to evade the wonder
tul but not always grateful part of
world arbitrator. Despite Americas
refusal to ratify the treaty Of Yer
-reparations. disarmament and ar
bitration-which It seemingly is i'm
possible for Europe to solve, have
been urged upon her.
Twenty years ago. Japan was the
sword with which England turned
imperial Russia out of East Asia.
Now Russia is using Japan bait
- attract the business men of Amer
lea and the British Empire to meet
ina the waters of confidence.
h The plan between Toxic and Lon
don in 1904 was successful because
,he Russian army was unschooled and
the commandments chief of the army,
Europatkin, who was no proper gem
eral, considered the battle of Muk-
den lost, although he could have
crushed the Japanese with the su-
perior numbers of the Russian
soldiers.
Receives Concessions.
The plan hatched between Japan
and Moscow since the Washington
ouferenCe-unless the Communists
iI.ternationale illustrates it by the
new Zinoviev epistles-can only
bring the hoped-for advantages with
Americas consent.
The empire of the Mikado is MAX
ing = treaty Immediately. True, she
Is eyacuating Sakhalin, north of ST.
bcria, and giving the Soviets what
She took from the Gar In return,
She obtains, besides treatment as
-most favored nation" considerable
concessions for the japanese inhabit-
ing Russian territory, and the cost of
exploitation for half the naptha wells
and the coal mines Of Sakhalin.
Although this increase in oil and
coal is important economically and
from a military point of view, its
value IS perhaps exceeded by the
Promise of benevolent neutrality in
Smc OF war. This obligation natu-
i'ally is binding to both parties But
Japan, as member of the League of
Nations, the verdict of which cancels
other treaties, may be forced to with
draw not only her benel olence by her
neutrality. Japan also might be
obliged to cooperate in punitive
expedition against Moscow's Asiatic
forts.
Advantage to Japan.
It is difficult to imagine a war
in which Japan's neutrality would be
4 serious advantage to the Russians.
But Japan can only move freely on
the Pacific coast if she has no fear
OF rear attack from Mongolia or
Manchuria or the coast provinces,
and her offensive and defensive
strength is considerably increased by
friendship with the Russian giant
Heavy clouds are hanging over the
island empire. The unfavorable ffnan-
eial situation has forced on the Jap
aneSe state economies of more than
a quarter of billion yen. The
japanese have suffered d series of
earthquakes, epidemiCs and disasters.
Conclusion of the Russian treaty
brightens the darkness momentarily
The treaty gives the bolshevists not
much more than the possibility of
qua = iliIlS IutuIe combinations and or
awakening the desire for a friendly
recognition of the Soviets. This pos
sibility does not seem TO them to be
too highly paid for with concessions
TO Japan.
A warning message may be heard
sin the air:
You Americans might have had
s. The Sakhalin petroleum If you had
arcepted the Sinclair agreement. But
10 Il-
hurry up and recognize her. The
reaty with Japan strengthens our
position in the Far East. Don't you
ar-slghted people realize that a
line traced from Moscow to Toxic
stretches to Peking on the east and
Berlin on the west?"
Calls Treaty Threat.
What Il change in the political world
would Russo-German-S -Sino-J apanese
reaty make. If the white races bolt
heir doors to the Russians, they must
urn to the yellow world
When NJ. KraSSine was in GERMANY
or the first time after the war, he
&Nould not believe 1t when this writer
81 old him that Russia would one day de-
i bend upon America. Now he knows it.
The Japanese treaty Is a threat. an
slarm signal and a. bait The arbitra-
or stands again before an important
precision. 1t is unwise to hesitate.
Copyright. 1921