AGREEMENT ON JAPAN

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25275, 29 August 1947, Page 7

AGREEMENT ON JAPAN

Official Statement At Canberra COMMONWEALTH CONFERENCE (Rec. 1.45 a.m.) CANBERRA, Aug. 28. General agreement on many terms for a “hard” peace with Japan was reached by the delegates to the British Commonwealth conference on Japanese peace terms in their third day’s sitting st Canberra. An official statement issued to-night said: “The delegates expressed the view that Japan should remain completely disarmed and demilitarised, that all armament manufacture should be forbidden, and that internal order should be maintained by a non-military police force.” The statement added that a great deal of time had been devoted to the subjects of disarmament and demilitarisation “because of their extreme importance in securing a stable peace in Japan.” Among proposed peace terms on which the conference showed fairly general agreement were:— (1) The prohibition of atomic research in Japan. (2) Prohibition of the building of any kind of naval vessels. (3) Limitation of Japanese commercial shipping to insular trade. (4) Prohibition of the manufacture of any kind of aircraft and strict control over civil aviation. (5) Continued exclusion of “undesirables” from public office. (fl) No resumption c f State subsidies for Shinto shrines, clergy, and organisations. (7) Renunciation of all rights and interests, both public and private, located outside Japan. (8) Protection against victimisation of Japanese who have o-operated with the occupation author! ies. Other subjects discussed were the Japanese public service, education, ultra-nationalistic societies, and special police and para-military organisations. The delegates agreed that the authority of the Japanese militarists and the influence of militarism in Japanese life must be totally eliminated. Although no snecific statement was made to this effect, it is understood that the delegates agreed that total disarmament should be applied to Japan indefinitely. They agreed that Japan should not have any army, navy, air force, secret police, or gendarmerie. The non-milit?ry police force necessary to maintain internal security could, however, be manned and probably directed by Japanese. Former Decisions Accepted Delegates to the British Common-

peace terms yesterday agreed not to oppose decisions on the disposition of farmer Japanese territories made by the big Powers at Cairo, Yalta, and Potsdam. Although some of these decisions are regarded unfavourably by certain British nations, all delegates agreed that the only realistic course was to accept the treaties that had been signed. The Dominions agreed that it would create an impossible situation if they attempted to force the United Kingdom to renounce treaties to which it had been a signatory. If the final peace treaty carries into effect the territorial provisions endorsed at Canberra, the Japanese territories will be redistributed as fol* lows:— TO China.—Manchuria, Formosa, and

To Russia.—Southern Sakhalin and the Kurile Islands* the port of Dairen to be internationalised, with recognition of the pre-eminence of Soviet interests; Port Arthur to become again a Soviet naval base; Korea to become independent “in due course.” Potsdam Decisions Under the Potsdam Declaration, which the conference accepted, Japanese sovereignty "shall be limited to Honshu. Hokkaido, Kyushu, Shikoku, and such minor islands as may be determined.” The Cairo, Yalta, and Potsdam Declarations did not attempt to specify what was to be done with the vast number of small islands which the Japanese controlled in the Pacific. These include the Marshall, Caroline, and Mariana Islands, held under mandate, and the Bonin Islands and Riukiu Archipelago, over which Japan had sovereignty. Australia favours tne United States having control over all these groups. It is considered that this would give Australia a vicarious territorial and defence benefit. The Australian Minister of External Affairs (Dr. H. V. Evatt) has referred to American possession of these islands as interposing the salients of a friendly nation between Australia and a possibly resurgent Japan. Although this question was not discussed in detail, nor was a vote taken, it is understood that this was generally regarded at the conference as the realistic course. The preparations made by the United Kingdom delegation have impressed everyone concerned with the British Commonwealth talks on the Japanese peace terms. Their information and instructions are precise and detailed. It is already clear that the United Kingdom Government doe? net intend t® adopt a minor role in the Japanese settlement. This was indicated mildly by Lord Addison when he said: "We are here because we have close and great interests in the Far East They are interests which are old-established and 1 which have penetrated throughout the whole of this great area—interests . which, of course, we seek to maintain and preserve.''