Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-22
BY WILLIAM HARD.

The Japanese delegates to the Lon
don Naval Conference have gone away
from washington and there Is only
strict accuracy--and no propaganda
in the outgivings of the State Depart
ment to the general effect that the visit
OF the japanese delegates here has for
tilted our Government in hoping for 0
successful issue Of the conference at
London next month.
Our authorities are impressed with
two things about the Japanese. In the
flrst place, the Japanese seem to have
q genuine desire not merely for the linz
itation Of naval ornaments, but also
for their actual positive reduction. This
fits in admirably with the policy OF the
United States. The United States is
making 1t clear, for instance. that 1t is
willing to go to almost any length in the
downward revision of the total OF cruiser
tonnage II the other naval powers will
accompany It in the downward move
ment. 1t appears now that the Japanese
in . considerable degree share this SEN
timent. In fact, without making any
comparisons for any hostile or In
vidiouS purpose. 1t would seem today
that of the five governments which
will assemble at London, the American
Government and the Japanese govern
ment will be the two that will be most
devoted to the reductionist point OF
view.
In the second place, the Japanese
have again made 1t fairly certain that
their historic policy Of going along with
the great powers of the world and OF
avoiding being responsible for the break
ing up of conferences is still in vogue
and in effect among them. 1t is recol-
lected here that the general rule is that
the japanese present demands frankly
and present arguments forcibly. but
then show spirit of accommodation
and are ultimately willing to sign COM
promise even when the compromise fails
to give them entirely what they may
think to be their rights. That has been
the general rule with them, as was
shown clearly in the conference at
Portsmouth, which concluded the Russo
japanese war in 1905 without conced-
ing to Japan their reiterated demands
In the matter Of an indemnity from
Russia. and was again shown clearly in
the naval arms conference at Wash
ington in 1921. when the Japanese got
far less than they desired in the matter
Of the recognition and perpetuation Of
their acquired rights In China.
y 4
It seems to be fundamental TO Japa-
nese foreign policy that Japan should
not put itself In the position Of being re-
garded as q stubborn and fatal obstacle
to international agreement. That doc
trine, In the view of the most intimate
observers here. seems to be on It's way
to being carried to London by the
Japanese naval delegates whose dispo-
sitions were studied here by their Of
flcial hosts.
It Is thought at the same time that
q part of the moderation displayed by
the Japanese here toward the end OF
their visit was due to their enlarged
realization Of the basic fact that the
United States Government is seriously
prepared to spend hundreds Of millions
Of dollars upon expansion OF its fleet II
1t fails to gain naval security through
International agreement at London
There is on this point no reason what
soever to doubt the resolution and de-
termination Of the administration now
in office in Washington. The present
administration will get security for the
United States through the limitation OF
reduction of the naval forces of the
world or else 1t will proceed to get Sc
curity by beginning to build a fleet
| which overwhelmingly will need to fear
no rival.
y
The United States, by reason Of Is
physical and financial resources, is
| abundantly able to outStrip all other
| countries in the achievement Of security
| by an immense outlay on naval arma-
ments. The United States Government
[ is therefore able to go to London Offer
| ing In the one hand an agreement fol
reduction and Offering in the other
hand the prospect of an American fee
superior to anything that any other
country can produce.
The japanese realized here that oul
President, though Quaker, meant what
| he said when he recently declared that
he did Tot believe in disarmament BY
example. He believed only, he intimated
| In disarmament by general cooperative
| action. 1t Is reasonable to suppose thai
his utterances had been thoroughly
| studied already by the Japanese al
| home. Here, however they had every
| opportunity to understand more com.
! pletely that he is thoroughly In earnest
| In maintaining that the chief end ir
view for the United States is necessarily
the simple one Of security and that, 4
| security cannot be got by common
counsel and common sense in interna.
tional engagements. 1t must then be go
for the United States by the United
States itself.
Now Japan, Of all the i1ve countries Il
be represented next month in the con
ference at London, Is the one least dis.
posed to incur extravagant expenditure
for naval or other purposes. II Is with.
out the resources for extraYagance, i