Evening star., 1934-09-08
Japan Demands More Navy

Japan has now carried into effect
her long indicated purpose and moved
definitely toward enforcement of her
demand for naval parity with the
United States and Great Britain. On
Friday at Toxic specific steps were
taken to that end. following their Off
cial adoption by the cabinet and the
august assent of the Emperor. Only
the approval of the Privy Council,
which is a foregone conclusion, is re-
quired to give final form and sanction
to the program of abrogating the
Washington limitation treaty and
scrapping the system Of tonnage ratios
which is its basis.
The treaty powers have the right to
serve notice of abrogation by Deem
Der 81, 1884. The japanese have de-
termined to take advantage of that
provision unless preliminary discus
sions regarding the 1885 Naval Con-
ference, which are to be renewed in
London next month, result in the
granting Of Japan's request for aboli-
tion of the 5-5-3 ratio and in an
agreement to accord her full equality
with the American and British fleets.
The Japanese seek an arrangement
whereby in future each of the prin-
cipal three naval powers shall have
exactly the same gross tonnage. to be
distributed among such cstegories of
ships as suit their own respective
needs. If the London conversations
disclose positive American and British
objections to Japans parity ambitions,
the Toxic government is prepared to
terminate the existing treaty at the
end of this year and to indicate that
under the circumstances the projected
1885 conference is doomed to futility.
Neither Great Britain nor the United
States considers that any alteration
in the 5-5-3 ratio is necessary or
desirable. Norman H. Davis, Amer
ica's Disarmament Ambassador at
Large, will presently proceed to Lon
don with instructions from President
Roosevelt to do his utmost to persuade
the Japanese delegates to abide by the
present treaty. Mr.. Davis efforts in
that direction, it is now clear, are
destined to be fruitless.
1t is a disquieting and deplorable
prospect that is thus opened up. If
Japan persists in building and main
tanning a feet equal to the respective
navies of the United States and Great
Britain, those countries as a matter of
course will be required to embark upon
costly expansion of their own sea es-
adjustments unless they are willing
automatically to concede Japan's claims
to supreme mastery of the Far East.
for with a parity fleet, which she could
concentrate In Pacific waters, her con-
troll of that domain would be indis-
putable. China would be at Nippon's
mercy, and British India and Aus
tralasia would look upon themselves
as necessarily menaced by superior
japanese sea power.
AS long as the Philippines remain
under the American flag and our in
terest in the open door in China is
maintained a Japan that ruled the
Eastern Seas in interchangeable
strength would present a situa-
ton no less to the disadvan-
tage of the United States. Per-
haps when 1t dawns upon japanese
statesmen that an abrogation of the
ratio system would simultaneously
terminate the obligation of America
and Great Britain to abstain from ex-
panding the Notifications of their Pa
cif1c possessions, a change of heart
may yet prevail at Toxic. Nor can
Japan be blind to the fact that if there
must be a renewal of navy building
competition, she is far less capable
than the English-speaking powers of
bearing the tremendous financial brunt
of such a contest, with its inevitable
and enduring threat to world peace.