BRITISH POLICY TO JAPAN

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25272, 26 August 1947, Page 7

BRITISH POLICY TO JAPAN

“LIMIT ON AMOUNT OF REPARATIONS”

VIEWS ON DRAFTING OF PEACE TREATY (Rec. 10 p.m.) CANBERRA, Aug. 25. While Britain wanted Japan stripped ©f her overseas empire and restricted to her home islands she did not want a pauperised Japan that would be a constant strain on other peoples, said the British Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations (Lord Addison) at Canberra to-day. There was a limitation on the amount of reparations which could be obtained from Japan. If Britain had pledged that Russia would receive the Kuriles and Sakhalin under secret clauses in the Yalta Agreement—an interpretation which -he did not necessarily accept—Britain would honour her promises. Britain supported Australia’s, view that the peace treaty should hot be drafted by the four Great Powers alone, but should be the work of all the Powers directly concerned in the war. Britain supported Australia in the belief that there should be no exercise of the veto at the peace conference. Britain would also support Australia to obtain compensation for war prisoners.