NEW ALLIANCE IN THE EAST.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 217, 12 September 1936, Page 7 (Supplement)

NEW ALLIANCE IN THE EAST.

Siam Turns For Guidance To Japan.

IS IT AN ANTI-EUROPEAN GESTURE?

(By KIMPEI SHEBA.)

TOKYO, Japan. AN interesting as well as an important recent development in the record of startling events in the Far East has been the increasing cordiality in the relations between Siam and Japan. The last few months have heen replete with evidences of this growing friendship. Numerous missions of goodwill have come from Siam bearing gifts and profitable trade offers and have been received with open arms in this country. From Japan technical advisers in road construction, agricultural experts, diplomats, scholars and business men have been dispatched to assist in the development of Siam. This evidence of Japan's spreading influence comes at a time when the attention of the world is focused on her internal difficulties and her policy of expansion and domination in Asia. Japan as late as October, 1933, .deliberately acted to incur the illwill of Siam by shutting out Siamese rice from Japan. As this is the only important item of export from that country to Japan, and as the measure was passed in tho face of increasing Japanese exports to Siam, the conduct of the Siamese in seeking friendly relations Nippon rather than in planning retaliative measures seems almost as strange as the Japanese action in putting up trade barriers against one of the few countries with which it enjoys a favourable trade balance. As a matter of fact, the one-sided trade relation between the two countries constitutes to-day the one blemish in the picture of goodwill. Japan exports roughly £3,000,000 in goods each year to Siam, but its imports from there are valued at scarcely £40,000.

Discussing the Siamese-Japanese rapprochement, Phra Mitrakann Rakeha, Siamese Minister in Tokyo, explained that his country was not offended by Japan's action. Siam realises, he said, that Japan, faced with a grave farm crisis, wae forced to shut out imports of rice. Moreover, according to Phra Raksha, Siam believes that Japan has done its best to make up for the unequal trade balance and is at present conducting investigations into the possibility of important other Siamese products. "According to American cotton experts," declared Phra Raksha, "Siam

ranks with Texas as the most suitable area in the world for the growing of cotton. At least a third of Siam can be utilised for the growing of cotton. We have already engaged two experts, an American, Dr. Pendleton, from the Philippines, and' a Japanese, Dr. Mihara, to assist us in growing cotton." The bulk of Japanese exports to Siam is made up of cotton goods, rubber goods, and sundry articles. The significant thing about this is that Japan's exports have been increasing at a phenomenal rate. Unlike other countries which have an unfavourable balance with Japan, Siam is not complaining. The reason is that Siam must have industrial products and prefers those which are cheap.

"Being an independent country, Siam will not be influenced by the desires of other countries at whose cost Japan's trade expansion into Siam has been made," Phra Eaksha said. "As long as Japan is able to supply better products more cheaply we will buy from her." This, of course, may be mere diplomacy. It is not at all unlikely that the powers that be in Siam at present, who kicked out pro-British King Prajadiiipok, are playing up to Japan for reasons best known to themselves. Two Warships Ordered. How else can one explain the presence of the chief of staff of the Siamese army in Japan, the visit of a military mission, the placing of orders for two war vessels, the visit last summer of a group of naval officers, and, finally, the recent friendship mission of a group of 16 members of the Siamese Parliament? Siam, said Phra Raksha, has predilections toward no country. It places orders for steamships, war vessels, and other industrial products with the country capable of meeting its requirements cheaply. In other matters also, according to Phra Eaksha, Siam is seeking Japan's guidance. The Siamese have decided to invite Japanese coaches to train Siamese swimmers. Again, in an altogether different realm, agriculture, the Siamese ha\ e lequested Japan to send agricultural experts to Siam. In military aflairs Siam is anxious to obtain the guidance of Japan. A mission of 15 army officers has been studying the Japanese army system. A navai mission has been inspecting Japanese naval dockyards and vessels. The dispatching of army and naval advisers to Siam sliould be in line. Although official Siam professes that this sudden interest in Japan has nothing whatever to do vith rumours of the public clamour to rid the country of British, Chinese and French influence, Japanese circles are inclined to feel that there is considerable foundation in these reports. ■Three countries figure most prominently in Siam's relations—England, I 1 ranee and China. To France Siam lost a large section of her northern provinces, including' Cambodia. England took an important slice of her southern provinces > and China to-day controls practically the whole' of Siam's commerce and most of her private wealth. With a land area the size of France, Siam has a population of only 13,000,000. It realises for this reason that it must remain an agricultural country for at least fifty years, or until it has a population of at least 50,000,000. Despite the Japanese restriction against Siamese rice, Siam is anxious to purchase Japanese industrial products, which admittedly are cheap. On the other hand, although its most favourable trade balance is with China, which imports £0,000,000 of Siamese rice and fish each year and exports little, Siam is not grateful to the Chinese. The answer is that the 500,000 Chinese merchants who do all of this trade, and who control practically the whole of Siam's business besides, send more than half of their profits each year to China in cash.