The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-01-25
Washington Discusses a Treaty

The senate foreign relations committee of which
Senator William E. BOrah of Idaho is chairman
met to discuss the treaty signed between the gov
eminent of Japan and the Union of Soviet Social
list Republics.
An official report Of the proceedings was not
made public but Il was unofacially hinted,. after
the meeting, that more, than one member of the
committee used strong language in discussing
the policy of Secretary of State Hughes in his
duct of the state department, with reference to
the United States attitude towards Russia.
1t was intimated that this policy of hate and
hostility mainly responsible for the compar
atively strong position which the treaty with Rus
sia gives Japan in the Pacific. without a suf-
fcient supply of oil to provide fuel for the jap
anese navy, it was admitted by U. s. naval ofic
ers that the MikadOs navy would never dare risk
a contest with the naval forces of the United
States. The concessions granted to Japan on
Saghalien Island, guarantees Toxic against any
shortage of fuel for her navy and strengthens her
immeasurably either in her negotiations with the
United States or in the event of war.
The senate foreign relations committee fears
that besides the published clauses of the treaty
there is also secret alliance between Moscow and
Japan. AS capitalist statesmen can think only
in terms of bourgeois diplomacy, 1t is not surpris
ing that they should suspect agreement be-
tween the two governments in view of the world
political situation. All the capitalist powers with
out exception are hostile to the Soviet government
for very fundamental reasons, and even tho Japan
is capitalist power it happens that her interests
in the Orient conflict so violently with the two
strongest imperialist powers that the Mikado's
government is for the moment automatically iso
ated. Therefore the logical step for Japan to take
from the point of bourgeois diplomacy would be
to form a defensive and offensive alliance with
Moscow.
British diplomacy now aims at driving the
United States and japan into hostilities. 1t has
been the historical policy of Britain to dispose of
her foremost naval and commercial competitor.
Navies, as a rule are built for the protection of
trade and trade routes The growing shipping
trade of the United States and her expanding i'm
perialism demand a larger navy. This brings
her automatically into conflict with Britain. 1t
would be to Britain's advantage to get Japan
and the United States naves into mutual an
Inhalation contest with Britain playing a role
that would enable her to step in at the opportune
moment to her advantage.
The foreign policy of Secretary Hughes is now
undergoing a critical examination by the senate
committee on foreign relations and his willing
ness to commit the United States to Britain's anti
Soviet strategy has led to developments which do
not look good to many prominent senate leaders.
The SovietJapan treaty brought the implications
of this policy dramatically to Washington's at
tention and the decision of a member of the for
eign relations committee to discuss the question on
the floor of the senate indicates the deep impress
sion the latest big development in world policies
made upon the United States government.