JAP. AGGRESSION.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 136, 11 June 1938, Page 15

JAP. AGGRESSION.

NO THREAT TO CHINESE.

MR. FENG WAKG'S COMMENT

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

WELLINGTON, Friday

Replying to statements in the address of the Japanese Consul-General, Mr. R. Gunji, at the Y.M.C.A. luncheon yesterday, the Chinese Consul, Mr. Feng Vang, states that ever since the days of the Revolution of 1911 Japan has been pursuing her continental ambitions at the expense of China.

"The episode of the twenty-one demands is still in our memory," he said. "During the Nationalist revolution Japan deliberately- obstructed the northward advance of -the Nationalist army, and prevented the unification of China under the new regime by precipitating the Tsinan incident in 1928. One can hardly imagine, that any nation which professes to welcome the awakening of China's national spirit, would behave in such a manner. Since September 18, 1031, Japan's acts of aggression have taken on an ever increasing degree of audacity, and vast tracts of territory have been seized from China."

With regard to Mr. Gunji's statement that trade relations are impossible because of illegal and hysterical boycotts Mr. Feng Wanjr said that during the past thieo years Japan's trade with China has increased annually, while the Customs statistics of the six months preceding the war show that she had almost attained first place in Sinoforeijrn trade. That there was such steady development of trade with Japan should itself be ample proof that there bad been no anti-Japanese policy on the part of tho Chinese Government Mr. Wang added that China had never challenged Japan and had never threatened her territory. She had not wished to make war on Japan, and was now fiphtinjr only to resist the unceasin?°iMlalight of the Japanese forces Those Japanese who claim that Japan has been acting in self-defence either betray, to use own pet expression, a rejrrettable lack of *in - eenty, or take all other people as fools » (Mr Gunji's statement appears on