The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-12-13
i. 5. AND JAPAN
MAY SUFFER BY
OIL TRIAL TALE
War Scare Discussion Like
Iy to Affect Friendship
of Nations.
BY William Philip Simms

s WASHINGTON, Dec. 13.-The
IFall-Donheny oil conspiracy trial
here seriously threatens to disturb
relations between the United States
Rnd Japan.
q Cables reveal that nothing in
years has stirred Toxic like Edward
L. Doheny's testimony that he had
been officially informed that Japan
had actually mobilized for war
against the United States and that
IAN invasion" of the Pacific coast
was part Of the plan.
The charge, if true, means that at
the very time Japanese delegates
were busy in Washington negotiat-
ling the four-power peace pact of
ethe Pacific, back in Japan prepare
lions were in full swing to turn
those waters red with war;
Doheny claims his information
came from Rear Admiral J. K. Robi-
rreau of Engineering. This would
seem to reflect on the good faith
of Japan. Thus it would be in
order were Toxic to make diplo-
matte representations to Washing
ton to have the matter cleared up.
On the other hand, the Japanese
press is now charging the United
States with bad faith on the ground
that while working for a reduction
of ornaments in Washington we
were strengthening our Pacific de-
fenses.
S Just how near war were the
United States and Japan in 1922?
Ridiculed War Idea
was in the Orient for the
~Scripps-Howard papers almost the
whole of 1921. l spent a long time
in Japan and months in China and
the Philippines studying the situa-
ton during that much discussed pc
.riod, yet no informed person, wheth-
er of Japanese, American, British
or other nationality, ever expressed
to me anything but ridicule for the
idea that Japan would ever attempt
Ito invade California, save, perhaps,
in the event Of a vast coalition
against us.
During the winter of 1920-21. how
ever, there was a feeling of crisis in
the air. l had felt it in Washing
ton before I started for Japan in
December. But the feeling was not
one of fear for our own shores, but
AN uneasiness lest something should
happen on the other side of the
Pacifc-most likely in the region of
the Philippines.
+ In Japan I found a similar unrest.
This was along in January and
February, 1921. A few hot heads
among the Japanese jingoes were
saying that sooner or later the two
countries would have to measure
swords, and the sooner the better.
But there was no sign OF early hos
tilities. To the contrary, the vast
majority of the Japanese with whom
L talked were distinctly of the opinion
that war at that time would be sui
cidal for them unless they could
count on British support.
a Here, perhaps, was the biggest OBJ
stacle in the way of a Japanese war
against the United States. There
was, of course, an Anglo-Japanese
alliance, but it was even then MORT
sbund. 1 found not one Britisher,
from Toxic to Picking and from Han
.l1ow to HongKolg, but who was
violently opposed to that alliance
and in favor of dropping it at the
very first opportunity.
Australias Status
Quite apart from ay question OF
sentiment, a common tongue or any
Thing Of that sort, there was AUS
4ralia. Australia feared, and still
fears, Japan. Could Britain remain
hutral while Japan was establishing
herself in the Philippines, within
striking distance of Australia? The
plain truth is Japan could not even
count on British neutrality in such
4 war, let alone British support. SO
when, during the summer Of 1921,
President Harding invited Japan to
come to Washington TO talk arms re-
.iuction and peace in the Pacific,
Japan readily accepted.
This marked the beginning of the
end of whatever war scare" there
was at that time That was definite
ly ended exactly five years ago to.
day. On Dec. 10, 1921, Japan, Bri-
tain, France and the United States
signed the Treaty of Washington
with view to the preservation Of
the general peace Of the Pacific
ocean"
This treaty buried the already dead
Anglo-Japanese alliance. 1t was rati-
fed by the Senate on March "a, 1922.
1t made peace in the Pacific quite as
certain as tho good faith and honor
nf the four nations signing it, and
The charge that one of the nations
planned to violate it almost before
the ink on its signature was dry be-
comes a serious matter
The first of the Fall-Doheny oil
contracts, it appears, was entered
into or April 20, 1922, three and
half months after Japan had signed,
The second was made on Dec. II, a
whole year afterward.
Thus the whole testimony charg-
Ing Japan with modifying for war
against the United States in 1922
can hardly be expected to please the
Japanese.