HANGS ON WASHINGTON CONFERENCE

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 51, 29 August 1921, Page 7

HANGS ON WASHINGTON CONFERENCE

COUNT OKUMA'S STATEMENT

'AMERICA AND EASTERN

INTERESTS,

(DN1I1I) tMU ASSOCIATION.—COMMMIT.) (AtITRAMAJt • NBW ZBAMNB CAM ABSOCIATHM.) WASHINGTON, 27th August. *

It is reported that Count Okuma ha» issued the following statement at Tokio: "In proposing the Pacific Conference, the United States undoubtedly wants tc^ bring to a settlement what the League of Nations has failed to solve. The five Great Powers are quite justified in 'taking ,part in the conference, because of the vital interest of the questions of the Far East and disarmament. It is not quite comprehensible, however, why the United States should extend an invitation to China, when the latter is still in so disorderly a condition, and not competent to represent the Republic. Most probably the fact is that having failed to put as much restriction upon the Japanese position and activity in the Far East as it desired at the Versailles Conference, the United States has sought a different opportunity in the form of the Pacific Conference. The future centre of the world's markets and wealth lies in China and Siberia, therefore it is only natural that ttw United States should want to restrict the activity of the Japanese, who possess intimate relations and occupy superior positions there. The conference in this sense is a convention to which greater importance attaches in Japanese estimation than the Paris Conference. The Japanese must be prepared to reject whatever problems are raised at the conference in disregard of the rights and interest of the peoples of the Orient, and if Japan's protests and claims are ignored she should quit" the copference. It is clear that America will assist China in the cancellation of the-Twenty-one Demands,' and thus fetter Japanese activity in the Far' East. In this sense, indeed, the fate of the Japanese Empire must be regarded as depending entirely Upon the results of this conference."