It will be seen that the Japanese policy involves hostility to Russia.  This is no doubt one reason for the friendship between Japan and France.  Another reason is that both are the champions of nationalistic capitalism, as against the international capitalism aimed at by Messrs. Morgan and Mr. Lloyd George, because France and Japan look to their armaments as the chief source of their income, while England and America look rather to their commerce and industry.  It would be interesting to compute how much coal and iron France and Japan have acquired in recent years by means of their armies.  England and America already possessed coal and iron; hence their different policy.  An uninvited delegation from the Far Eastern Republic at Washington produced documents tending to show that France and Japan came there as secret allies.  Although the authenticity of the documents was denied, most people, apparently, believed them to be genuine.  In any case, it is to be expected that France and Japan will stand together, now that the Anglo-Japanese Alliance has come to an end and the Anglo-French Entente has become anything but cordial.  Thus it is to be feared that Washington and Genoa have sown the seeds of future wars—­unless, by some miracle, the “civilized” nations should grow weary of suicide.

FOOTNOTES: 

[Footnote 84:  See e.g. chap. viii. of Millard’s Democracy and the Eastern Question.]

[Footnote 85:  I ought perhaps to confess that I have a bias in favour of the Far Eastern Republic, owing to my friendship for their diplomatic mission which was in Peking while I was there.  I never met a more high-minded set of men in any country.  And although they were communists, and knew the views that I had expressed on Russia, they showed me great kindness.  I do not think, however, that these courtesies have affected my view of the dispute between Chita and Tokyo.]

CHAPTER X

PRESENT FORCES AND TENDENCIES IN THE FAR EAST

The Far Eastern situation is so complex that it is very difficult to guess what will be the ultimate outcome of the Washington Conference, and still more difficult to know what outcome we ought to desire.  I will endeavour to set forth the various factors each in turn, not simplifying the issues, but rather aiming at producing a certain hesitancy which I regard as desirable in dealing with China.  I shall consider successively the interests and desires of America, Japan, Russia and China, with an attempt, in each case, to gauge what parts of these various interests and desires are compatible with the welfare of mankind as a whole.[86]