Evening star., 1926-11-25
1921 WAR SCARE
REPORT IS SECUTED
Officials Will Not Admit There
Was One-Any Japan Plans
Believed Mere "Game."
BY ROBERT T. SMALL.

Officials of the Government are un-
willing to admit there was a war
scare" with Japan in the Winter of
1921 when the disarmament confer
ence was in progress here in Wash
ington. They insist that the picture
of approaching war. as detailed by
the defense in the Fall-Doheny trial.
was overdrawn.
Navy Department officials have de-
clined to comment upon the state
ments that confidential reports re-
/ ceived from Admiral GleaveS, COM
manding the Asiatic squadron in No
vember and December of 1921, told of
mobilization orders issued by the
Japanese war office, with the Philip
pines. Hawaii and eventually the
west coast of the United States as
the objects of attack.
the Navy personnel and material in a
service men on duty in Washington
to explain these reports, if they were
made, as applying to some sort of
war game" or war maneuvers"
planned for the Japanese navy. The
United States Navy conducts similar
war games and maneuVerS and insists
at all times that they are not directly
or indirectly aimed at any particular
power. They are conducted to keep
the Navy personnel and materiel in a
supposedly high State of efficiency.
No Other ENEMY" Logical.
1t is explained that any maneuvers
conducted by Japan necessarily would
! involve the United States as the pos
sible enemy" 1t would be ridiculous
for Japan to aim a theoretical blow
at the Russia of today. for Russia
has practically no navy and the Jap
anese navy could hardly make stra-
tegic maneuvers without the possibil-
ity of opposition.
Japan could not aim q naval blow
at China for China also was not a
naval power In 1921 1t would have
been impolitic and even impolite to
aim blow at Australia, for Australia
was a colony of Great Britain, with
whom Japan had an offensive and
defensive alliance.
So, if the Japanese navy was to
maneuver at all in the Pacific in 1921
it would have to regard the United
States as the enemy.
While disclaiming any knowledge of
the facts one way or the other, both
Naval and Army officers have dis
cusSed the matter with the writer.
They frankly do not believe Japan
was thinking of war with the United
States in 1921. Her only grievance at
the time could have been over the pro
pOsal to name OrientalS as specifically
excluded in the new immigration
quota law. Japan wanted this spe-
cific exclusion omitted in view of the
sentlemen's agreement which had been
reached, binding Japan to keep her
potential immigrants at home. Inter
nationally the question of excluding
undesirable aliens from a country al
ways has been considered a domestic
affair.
L. 8. Also Held Maneuvers.
1t was pointed out today that the
United States Army and Navy have
conducted joint war maneuvers in the
Pacific Ocean, when Japan must have
known that she was the only theoreti-
cal enemy" the United States could
have in mind in those waters.
Japan knew this so well, in fact
that she protested against the ma
reuvers held some time ago in and
around the Hawaiian Islands. Japan
was afraid the maneuvers would be
misunderstood by her people and
might lead to clamor for some sort
Of. retaliation against the United
States. She was even afraid the Jap
anese people might consider they were
being attacked.
The United States promptly and
vigorously disclaimed any intent to
consider Japan as possible enemy
in the maneuVerS. 1t was explained
the whole program was just a war
game" between two American forces
which would be known as Blue
and BLACK"
The United States went ahead with
it's war maneuvers regardless of the
Japanese protests. 1t is believed here
Japan was merely conducting a
theoretical mobilization if she issued
orders to that effect in 1921.
Copyright. 1920