Evening star., 1929-12-19
GOOD WILL MARKS
JAPANESE CLAIMS
Desire for 70 Per Cent Naval
Strength of U. S. Is Not
Held Disturbing.
BY MARK SULLIVAN.

Those most familiar with the ap-
preaching Naval Conference are not in
the least disturbed by the announce
ment Of Japan's wish for naval
strength equal to 10 per cent of what
ever the conference accords to the
United States and Great Britain. The
deeper quality by which Japan'S atti-
tude toward the conference is measured
Is her known, unquestionable and fully
accredited goodwill and wish that the
conference shall be successful. Those
who are best informed look upon Japan
as a sincere partner of the United
States in the promotion of peace.
Japan during the last 10 years has
participated with the United States in
three naval conferences. At the tlrSt
in 1921, she was still under the IN
fluence of an older craftsmanship. That
craftsmanship in part hung over from
that craftsmanship took account OF
what was then the craftsmanship OF
European nations and looked upon
strong armament as an essential attrl-
butte of strong nationality. Also, 1t is
a fact that the 1921 conference took
place at a time when it was the fashion
in many American circles to be suspi-
cious of Japan.
Desire for Peace Shown in 1921.
Nevertheless, Japan at the 1921 con-
ference, as a contribution toward sue
cess accepted naval strength IN capl-
tai ships amounting to 60 per cent OF
that of the United States and Great
britain. At the same 1921 conference,
.Tanan made other sacrifices too COM
nlex to describe here. Among otner
things. japan with Great Britain ter
minated an alliance. between those two
nations which was necessarily dlSturp-
ing to the United States. 49,. A.,
It is not too much to say that the
1901 conference marked turning polnt
in Japanese national policy ana ol,
plomacy. The change can be eXpreSSeu
in terms of the Occidental natlolS
Japan took as her model. Previous 10
1921, and especially previous 10 tns
Great war, Japan was engaged IN
roodernizing her ancient civilization. In
that process she intelligently looked
about modern Western nations TO see
which were the ones whose policies
seemed to make them great. At that
time. by an understandable choice, Sne
took Great Britain and Germany as
models and was disposed to initiate
their insistence upon fighting strength
Since the 1921 conference, however
Japan has tended to look upon tne
united States as the Occidental nation
Hhose practices and policies seemed
most worth taking as a guloe: o,
When the 1927 conference for naval
limitation at Geneva came, Japan was
as earnest for success as the United
States itself. The guiding purpose OF
the Japanese at Geneva was to tacil-
tate the American hope of limitation
and reduction. Those most famlllar
with the Japanese are confident that
this is now her guiding purpose as sne
annroaches the present conference.
This good will is far more fundamental
than any figures she puts forward as
an initial estimate Of her defensive
needs.
Can't Judge by Figures.
If newspaper discussion. and the m
evitable public reaction corresfNnolng
to newspaper discussion, is focused on
Comparative figures, the atmosphere, OF
the conference may not be favorable.
II. on the other hand, the pubic is
made aware of the complete gooo Will
of Japan. the atmosphere OF the con-
ference will be more favorable. There
is. of course, time t9r the caTeAui
checking up of the concrete results OF
the conference. That time Is the lnter-
val between the close If the conference
and the submission of the conferences
results to the Senate. Nothing the con-
ference does is binding upon the Unlteo
States until and after the Senate ratl-
fieS it. ....
Probably the aspect OF the coming
conference most important to be borne
in mind by the public Is the deslraoll-
,tV of success. This is conference de-
signed to halt and avert an inciplent
race in the construction Of cruisers and
other auxiliary naval craft. That race
was already under way. If the confer
ence had not been called. the race
would have gone on at one rate OF speed
or another. If the conference is Sue
cessful, naval competition will be halt
ed, possibly forever. If, on the other
hand, the conference is not a success
the world will be in far worse state
than If the conference had never been
held or suggested.
Failure Of the coming conference
would amount to an announcement tC
the world that the five great nations
or the three, are unable to agree not tc
build competitively against each other
That such an announcement, concrete
though tacit, would be followed by ar
accelerated race in competitive nava
armament, goes without saying. Japan
can be counted on to try to prevent such
an outcome, more. perhaps, than any
other nation in the conference. Hel
creditable reasons for wanting to pre-
vent it include her sincere friendlineS'
to the United States, her belief in thu
American policy of peace, the nationa
| policies she has adopted for herself, anC
| her economic relation to the other ma
! tions.