The Press FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 1939. Japanese Foreign Policy

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22656, 10 March 1939, Page 10

The Press FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 1939. Japanese Foreign Policy

The debate on foreign affairs in the Japanese Diet reported in the cable news on Wednesday revealed an apparent contradiction between the views of the Foreign Minister, Mr Arita, and the Minister for Marine, Admiral Yonai. Mr Arita told the Diet that Japan’s intention was to be friendly with Great Britain and America, that the Anti-Comintern Pact was directed solely against the Comintern and not against the democracies, and that Japanese diplomacy was not limited to a three-Power agreement. Admiral Yonai, speaking to the navy estimates, said-ominously, “We are not planning simul- “ taneous action against both Powers (Great “Britain and the United States), but we aim “ to attain such strength as will enable opera- “ tions against the better equipped of them.” There is no need to question the sincerity of Mr Arita’s statement. Like Mr Hirota, General Ugaki, and Prince Konoye before him, he has striven earnestly for better relations with third Powers, particularly Great Britain, the United States, and France. Moreover, any other foreign policy would .be shortsighted and destructive of Japan’s best interests. It is well enough realised by Japan’s political leaders l that good relations with third Powers are essential if Japan is to stand the -economic strain of the present war and make any real progress with the reconstruction of China. The Anti-Comin-tern Pact is valuable solely as a source of militaty strength; neither Germany nor Italy is in a position to give Japan the economic assistance she so badly needs. There is, of course, no real obstacle to good relations between Japan and Great Britain. Comparatively early in the war in China the British Government showed every willingness to come to terms with Japan on a basis of the maintenance of the “ open door” policy. But the efforts of the Japanese Foreign Office to satisfy the British Government that it is sincere in its professions of anxiety to reopen China to foreign commerce as soon as military necessities permit have been consistently thwarted by two factors. One is the irresponsibility of the military leaders in .China, who have shown no regard for the diplomatic consequences of their actions; the other, strangely enough, is the success of official propaganda, much of which is dirdfcted against third Powers in arousing the martial spirit of the Japanese people. Reports of recent Diet sessions reveal only too clearly that there is among all political parties in Japan a strong and unreasoning hostility to any foreign policy which is conciliatory towards Powers suspected of aiding or sympathising with the Chinese Government.