The Washington Conference and the Foreign Policies of Japan Author(s): Frederick Moore Source: The Journal of International

Relations, Vol. 12, No. 4 (Apr., 1922), pp. 474-484 Published by: Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/29738513 . Accessed: 04/10/2013 01:26
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THE WASHINGTON CONFERENCE AND THE FOREIGN POLICIES OF JAPAN

By Frederick Moore, Foreign Counsellor to the Japanese of Foreign Affairs Ministry It is only in an indirect way that I am able to comply with
of the Journal the request of International of the success estimate of the Washington Relations Conference for an from

a Japanese point of view, for while I am an official of the Japanese Foreign Office I cannot speak in that capacity.
who has had an opportunity to obtain But, as an American some I the Japanese what of interest. be say may viewpoint, was a I much in struck with simple statement appearing the New York World at the conclusion of the Conference.

The World

said:

The way to measure of the Naval Treaty is to the importance remember what would have happened had there been no agitation no Hughes no Washington for disarmament, proposal, Conference,
and no agreement.

for the greatest We should have gone ahead with a programme navy in the world. Japan would have gone ahead with her pro? gramme to prevent us from building too far ahead of her. Great Britain would have had to increase her naval programme to pre? vent Japan and America from outdistancing her. Then about 1924 or so we should have had to make a new programme to keep Japan and Great Britain from catching up to us. And they would have had to have more programmes in order to catch up with us. .In order to make people pay the taxes, people in each country would have had to be kept in a state of palpitating excitement about the sinister plots, the hidden spies, and the tremendous of the other two nations. ambitions are as glad Japanese is their foremost That as an overwhelming ference new era has been established It is a remarkable change The are. Up to the memorable day to be reason success that relieved of all this as we

the Con? for regarding that a and for hoping

in the world.

taken place. has suddenly of the Conference, of the opening 474

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WASHINGTON we

CONFERENCE of us, seemed

AND to be

JAPAN our

475 per?

Americans,

many

losing

spective in the outlook towards the Orient, We did not seem to realize that the Great War left the United States
secure absolutely We heard Power. looked with from talk of attack dangers by and of war with Japan, on the Anglo-Japanese commitments. valuable: remarkably come out of it than and Pacific any some In other of us

questioning the spect

suspicion Britain's Great was have should us

Alliance, re? this even if educa?

Conference

nothing tion it gave demonstration achieved The and Mr. nificant existing up and President studied several

more

the

in Far Eastern of our own

comparative

and the matters, it would have might, of the Conference, with the based sig? on

much. lesson came to us on the first bore of a out 5-5-3 this day

when President Harding

Hughes proposal navies. set

stated that we harbored no fears

declaration naval

right the and

limitation, we were pulled and definitely Suddenly a men?the of five practical group by four of American and sea-power have tried may or even actual to the nation delegates?who knew that, to mislead however us, we

had as on

the matter

of men groups are without a nation any west side. there of To

the north, is not a single success. with This our

danger potential to the east, or to the south, that can assault us with any

chance tion,

coupled and natural territory, was necessary for the a practical readily acceded it was

posi? geographical unparalleled of extent wealth of man-power, us which that resources, gave prestige

and of the Conference; summoning lesson to us to see how other naval powers to our proposals.

The World War

left only three great navies

one

upon the

and one to America, to Europe, seas?one belonging the Japanese of the war, At the conclusion navy to Asia. was a little over half the size of ours, but, 7000 miles away as we possess, by no such supply of resources supported us a menace could not be. to and to be never it was designed the size of ours; double The British navy was approximately and

but that navy, with the exception of one brief period during
our Civil War, had always been greater than ours and had

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476 us endangered moral and practical not

FREDERICK for

MOORE And for both years. of been a cornerstone

a hundred it has

reasons

British
with our

foreign policy for half a century to keep the peace

any price. after the conclusion us hailed of the war, and the advantage

us at practically 1916 naval enthusiastic project

But in spite of this splendid situation we proceeded with

many we were among spirits our ability to make to outbuild the evident Our program for the completion provided

taking rest of the world.

was a capital post-Jutland ships in 1924, which number than Great Britain and would larger Japan together to say nothing of these Each of the rest complete. ships, was to cost, in initial construction, of the navy or its upkeep, of sixteen or more?sufficient ?40,000,000 save to all the child alone, and died of cold a project and was If such would the cost of one ship money, life of Europe that has suffered this winter. carried to completion, it had

starvation to be

to be justified in the eyes of the American

people or they

not stand for it ;and the effort was made by some men to explain it by developing distrust of the motives and in? tentions of Japan, and in a minor of Great Britain. degree, The Anglo-Japanese to which we had never before Alliance, objected, though would became the Japanese a menace possible had understood government thing of to us, al? for years

that in case of conflict with the United States Great Britain

on their side. not participate It may have been natural for a nation in fact as well as in spirit from the affairs a disturbed to go through Asia, period after such a ghastly as the catastrophe was us but it fortunate for and for ended; Conference came and cleared the air. like ours, so remote of Europe and of war for a year or two that recently the world that this For our

lack of us the prey to suspicion made that was needless. knowledge When the World War it left the nations ended of Europe, all of them, so heavily in debt and so thoroughly exhausted that by comparison this country a super? of ours became state. now It is such and will remain such for many years to come?in are still fact, as far as can be seen as no into other the future. is, progressing materially nation

We

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WASHINGTON and we still of have people.

CONFERENCE and

AND

JAPAN for millions

477 upon mile is

millions and that

space Our

territory

population means

per

square and

approximately
to our about in which United world more one.

35 persons; while
is 396?which

that of England
eleven

is 370,
twelve

of Japan

Sometimes
our he States can. at any charity am reminded

when
of Mr. gives

I listen to fellow Americans

talking
I

international

and generosity, righteousness manner and the munificent Rockefeller millions to be while lavish to; we country. the average citizen

away

is careful in bestowing
can afford We can time than the world

his hundreds upon charity.

as no other the other But outbuild country of navies

The
in the

that we want any other

can and do distribute our basic wage

in the United States is three dollars a day, while that of England is about a half and that of Japan about a fifth. Nor is that all : In England a man with an income of $4000 pays, I believe, $1000 of it in income tax; and the Japanese
are also very heavily taxed. Here in the United States a

man with

an income of $4000 pays annually,

if he

is a

We are generous $120, and less if he ismarried. single man, one can to with our money?no that; but it seems dispute in? me we could afford more of and less generosity spirit are eminent countries which those to criticize clination

in doing the work of the world, even though they may not be at all times idealistic in their methods. But let me draw your attention to the fact that Japan,
as at has been stated by the Japanese delegates, has cost

China very few lives, while it cannot be disputed that once

China she protected in the war against Russia, least, fore? her and that from a most menacing* among aggression the for has been for most many years provision objectives from encroachments of China any further against security Occidental Siberian in her principle a formida? of program possibly today?anticipation assurance of pro? to the East. With of Russia ble return no ad? that it is probable tection Japanese given China, on the part of their country of an aggressive vocates policy the ear of the Japanese will again be able to catch people nations. That is also a first

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478

FREDERICK

MOORE

and make
first has While the one

them believe that unless they get hold of China

or more of the western or one foreign less state trade powers of as will.

Now, with regard to Great Britain,

been?more in America others [our because

her foreign policy

strikingly different

conditions?very

different from that of the United

lives, being it were, a source

States.

by of additional

trade with

profit and wealth

to us] the British have been impelled to

lands for colonization, for raw materials go out to foreign and for trade; and, in the course of their adventures, they of many taken have backward charge Nothing peoples. our policy?not at like this has been for some decades, rate. With few and various Pacific any exceptions [notably

several West
letting other

Indian
peoples

islands] our policy has been one of

work out their own salvation. For

ourselves, I think this is a good policy; but, knowing something about the British and their colonies and fully
realizing nevertheless, that their am administrations for British are grateful not perfect, administration?in I care nothing, I,

Egypt,

India, Turkey

and elsewhere; and I say this not

prestige,?about which

for the sake of British

the British having sufficient glory,?nor for the sake of British merchants; I say it in the interest of the millions of
backward peoples enabled disease. is often China, to whom hundreds To Great Britain has given pro?

tection
which tion tectors For

(often from their own tyrants)

has of thousands, with

and organization
perhaps the millions, dog"

to live their lives who would otherwise have died of starva?

and sympathize sometimes has done "under

is kindly; but to condone his faults and condemn his pro?

and stupid Great Britain dangerous. a remarkable the remaining be inact work. terri?

Without

the British

it is doubtful
Dependencies,

if China proper, to say

would today. to China

of her extensive nothing of her ancient tories To in in An say nothing thwarting the Orient,

conquests, of the assistance Great Russian two

Britain

imperialistic are here

Englishman, customs China's

projects cases to consider: present supported by his government, organized and that service, still con service; today

gave and German

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WASHINGTON

CONFERENCE

AND

JAPAN

479

trolled by an Englishman
government, tain China's help materially is the factor British powers. portant possesses, plete subject These is one credit salt of the

under treaty with

two the stabilizing and which, factors

the British
that main? The time, other

in the world to keep

at the same

country or bureau, also controlled by a gabelle, under arrangement with consortium several two sources of tax revenue the are central the most im? dependable no other modern that government com? with

unified.

and most because and of the

is administered

If these two de? efficiency. were relieved of government foreign partments it is safe to say that China's foreign bonds, supervision, and would seriously them, immediately guaranteed by factions would her rival military while promptly decline, honesty take not In control actual recent of the sources disunion. years of these revenues in their particu?

lar districts, with

the result of further decentralization

if

to not only have been made attempts to to also the but entangle Japanese, regard us in the Chinese is complex which and remote situation, in a day. We shall have China's and cannot be solved as we us as are here may who for before live, long problem alarm us with and it will go and on for many times years our thereafter. size China is a

country
territory and, being

considerably
several

larger than the United

States

in
It

in population.

is the oldest

civilization

that exists in the world

today,

to will be one of the slowest in traditions, steeped inWash? that the Conference If any one thought change. or of declarations the treaties, drafting by ington could, old state, he was very much mistaken. that massive remake our methods and our if they are to adopt The Chinese, must and in their own do so of their own accord manners, of a of is not the work The time. remaking peoples good a men a in But nor of conference. of group of group day intelligent ing bulk men in a conference, of advanced by the dominat? supported can the world over, public opinion has done so at Washington. gigantic most railway, of her size, China of it under

much?and accomplish in spite At the present time, of 8000 miles has only about

TUE JOURNALOF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS,VOL. 12, NO. 4, 1922

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480

FREDERICK

MOORE and that

foreign control?British, can You American.

get

French, Belgian, some idea of the

Japanese difference

exists between China and the United States if you consider the fact that we have in the United States over 270,000
miles necting of road. only New Imagine Orleans, this with country St. Louis Boston, con? railways and Chicago

with the capital and the Atlantic coast and you will realize that calling China a republic does not make her exactly like the United States.
The said, renewed Conference has given their China as Senator at Washington, a Magna The Charta. to respect her Underwood nations have and it

pledges

sovereignty

will be difficult for them to go behind their agreements even if any of them should want to do so. It is now for the
Chinese to unify their country, create a condition of security

for life and property within it, and establish their responsi? the bility to others. When they have done that,?as
Japanese humiliation did with conspicuously fewer and elsewhere. resources and ad?

vantages,?they
at their troops clude Americans; the purpose

will find equal facility in getting rid of the

the presence These as well of foreign in? troops as those

of extraterritoriality and capital and American

gunboats, men

of other countries, ply the waters of the Yangtze River

of protecting such business and missionaries. will be needless.

for

When

the Chinese unify China and establish law and order

foreign precautions

in their provinces,

When these things are done China's industrious and thrifty population of 400,000,000 souls will make her the greatest
single of the national power powers in the world.

For the immediate future we have theWashington

greater to respect the integrity On the

pledges
and this inde? score that :

pendence of China; and it will be difficult and most unwise

for any power to go behind these pledges. the final address of the Japanese Delegation ton Conference expresses substantially bor. In that closing address, Baron at the Washing? policy said

Japan has decided to follow with regard to her great neigh?

Shidehara It has been found that we are all striving for the same goal of life, and that goal is now perceptibly within sight.

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WASHINGTON

CONFERENCE

AND

JAPAN

481

for instance, the Chinese it was often Take, problem, which, What asserted, would one day lead to world-wide conflagration. has the Conference revealed? No sooner had Mr. Root formu? the four great rules of international lated and presented conduct with regard to China than those proposals met a ready, spon? laid the taneous, and wholehearted They approval on all sides. of the work of the delegations and of friendly under? foundation
standings among nations.

No No one denies to China her sacred right to govern herself. one stands in the way of China working out her own great national with any plan of No one has come to the Conference destiny. On the contrary, every seeking anything at the expense of China. nation has shown readiness at all times to help China participating out of her present difficulties. that she has made to China every possible con? Japan believes with a sense of reason, fairness, and honor. cession compatible She does not regret it. She rejoices in the thought that the sacri? fice which she has offered will not be in vain, in the greater cause of international friendship and good-will. in a speedy establishment of peace and interested We are vitally of her vast in China and in the economic development unity that we It is, indeed, to the Asiatic mainland natural resources. for raw materials and for the markets where must look primarily raw materials our manufactured articles may be sold. Neither can be had unless order, happiness and prosperity nor the markets hun? With reign in China, under good and stable government. resident in China, with enor? dreds of thousands of our nationals mous of our capital invested there, and with our own amounts on that of our neighbor, we national existence largely dependent are naturally in that country to a greater extent than interested situated. any of the countries remotely is simply to in China To say that Japan has special interests It intimates no claim or pretension state a plain and actual fact. to China or to any other foreign nation. of any ldnd prejudicial of securing preferential Nor are we actuated by any intention or exclusive in China. should we need economic Why rights in the should we be afraid of foreign competition them? Why it is conducted Chinese market squarely and honestly? provided of and having fair knowledge Favored position, by geographical of the Chinese the actual requirements people, our traders and in their commercial, business men can well take care of themselves in China without any preferen? industrial, and financial activities tial or exclusive rights. We do not seek any territory in China, but we do seek a field of economic activity beneficial as much to China as to Japan, based always on the principle of the open door and equal opportunity. The course and delegates Japanese made of the Conference other various officials the during which statements

together

indicated

substantially

the trend of Japanese

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482

FREDERICK

MOORE

thought as well as the foreign policies which

ment the has adopted. For instance, that on the January new

the govern?
21, four Count

Uchida,
treaty

the Minister

of Foreign Affairs, said, with regard to

alliance, power

Anglo-Japanese

Is a sign of the progress of the times and a manifestation of the on an enlarged and good-will spirit of international friendship It is a matter of profound scale. to the Japanese gratification that by virtue of the Treaty the general peace of the government Pacific Ocean will be assured conjointly by the four Powers. Prior to this, Baron Shidehara, Ambassador to Washing?

ton, had stated with regard to the Alliance

that

anxious to strengthen the ties of friendship Japan is naturally and loyal cooperation between herself and the British Empire, which she regards as of the utmost to the stability of importance the Far East. At the same time, it is the firm and fixed determina? tion of Japan to permit nothing to hamper her traditional relations of good-will and good understanding with the United States. She is satisfied that these two affiliations are in no way incompatible, and even essential to each but, on the contrary, complimentary
other.

Far

Shidehara reviewed before the January 23, Baron Eastern Committee of the Washington the Conference of Japan's to Siberia. He history military expedition was undertaken out that this expedition pointed originally in common accord and cooperation with the United States

On

and other allied powers in 1918, and declared that disorders and the unstable conditions of affairs in East Siberia had
made massacre in ment could Baron 1920 it necessary, of over was in the seven for opinion of his Government, Japanese of at Nikolaievsk to

maintain

troops in the Vladivostok

hundred the reason

region and that the

in the Russian

certain occupation points of the establish? province Sakhalin, pending in Russia of a responsible with whom authority Japan in order communicate to obtain due satisfaction. Shidehara said in conclusion:

The Japanese delegation is authorized to declare that it is the fixed and settled policy of Japan to respect the territorial integ? and to observe the principle of non-intervention rity of Russia, in the internal affairs of that country, as well as the principle of

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WASHINGTON

CONFERENCE

AND

JAPAN of all nations

483 in

for the commerce and industry equal opportunity every part of the Russian possessions.

to the naval With and their signifi? regard engagements Kato said on January before the cance, Admiral 14, speaking

Japan Society

in New York:

as we have been making Critics may say that such declarations a hundred years ago at Vienna, were made at Washington and at The Hague, and therefore will amount to nothing. subsequently But that is not the case, for very definite reasons. In the first inWashington have given, place, the several nations represented by the concessions they have made to the views of others, tangible of the earnestness of their intentions. the demonstrations Unless the people of these nations were deep-rooted spirit that actuates in sincere desire, these concessions would not have been possible. the interests and the desires of the greater nations of Fortunately, the world are in accord; otherwise, the scrapping of hundreds of or of tons of fighting thousands ships would not be pacticable is unmistakable That evidence of unmistakable acceptable. and logic. agreement I want particularly to draw your attention to one fact. An for a number of years to present Japan to effort has been made to dominate nation designing the Pacific. Some you as a military of us Japanese have tried to disabuse the minds of those who were wont to believe this calumny, but with many the charge remained unrefuted these recent Within up to the present Conference. the 5-5-3 weeks, Japan, by accepting ratio, has given evidence which only the weak-minded will in future dispute; and at the same time this ratio is also assurance that you have no intention of us. We have never aspired or intended to challenge assaulting or her far-ranging we have the security of America possessions; Never have we desired war, sought only security for ourselves. never a conflict with the nation that is the greatest ?certainly of our goods and at the same time the most powerful purchaser factor on the Pacific.The to limit naval agreement the construction of offensive or capital ships, although it does not for war at sea, does effec? totally destroy the physical equipment of the great naval Powers the tively remove from the relations on naval competition. distrust attendant not only This means economic relief from a heavy burden of taxation, but an even more important The nations are at once freed to spiritual relief. to calm, to friendliness and the pursuit of happiness in security, fair competition. This revival of decency in the world is strength? ened by the adoption of laws governing the use of submarines, the decision of the nations not to develop their Pacific bases, and arms and the the evident to restrict determination generally threat of arms.

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484 Prince York

FREDERICK

MOORE at a private dinner in New

Tokugawa, on December

speaking 20, said:

We followed the Western nations, I think I may say, conspicu? ously, when war was the game. We did not like it, but we had to do it. Our national existence depended upon our taking up arms; of our existence extent the national and to a very important on our and naval also military depended China, great neighbor, It There can be no doubt of that. Now a new era has come. as sincerely as any other is an era which we Japanese welcome are remote, in America You in the world. powerful, people in the world would dare No other nation and secure. wealthy is possible and no combination attack you except in desperation, era of peace is the To you, coming you. therefore, against more than in the grim, material in sentiment welcomed way in which we in Japan must regard it. In conclusion of the American view of world of I would people say that to maintain to permit fear, the it seems a broad ourselves instruments remote to me the part common-sense the
preparation.

subjects projects ourselves ?which

affairs; of no needless reformation an example is great?in

to be made

upon and to use our influence in fair dealing us always a way that will make

of no visionary to make continents;

loved and respected rather than feared or distrusted.

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