Japanese Peace Treaty
There has been little pubU: criticism in New Zealand of the draft peace treaty with Japan; and what criticism there has been was effectively answered by the Minister of* External Affairs (Mr Doidge) in his address 'to the English Speaking Union at Auckland. Mr Doidge also usefully explained a point in the Three-Power Security Pact that might not have been generally understood the possibility of a clash between New Zealand’s commitments under this pact with other obligations, possibly in the Middle East. Mr Doidge has now made it plain that the United States clearly understands that New Zealand’s obligations outside the,pact must be taken into account in the consideration of any course of action under the pact. The pact itself, of course, was designed to allay the legitimate, although perhaps exaggerated, fear, in Australia and New Zealand, and not in the United States, of a possible Japanese resurgence. The United States is not therefore primarily interested in the assistance America might get from the Pacific Dominions. Mr Doidge’s address gave the principal reasons why a revival of Japanese aggression need not be too greatly feared. One is the control of essential strategic materials by the Western Pow.ers; another, equally important, is that Japan can no longer draw on the resources of a Manchurian colony. Apart from military questions, there has been some misgiving about Japan’s re-entry into world trade. Here Mr Doidge was able to point
to the undertaking to be given in the treaty that Japan will conform to fair trade practices. However Japan may regard this undertaking, the free world has the economic powdr to enforce its observance. Altogether, Mr Doidge made a strong case for a “peace of recon- “ dilation”, although he may have been too optimistic about the future intentions of Japan. No other sort of peace was possible without the grave risk of throwing Japan into the Communist camp; but that is not to say that Japan has been won as a permanent ally of the democracies, as Mr Doidge seemed to imply when he spoke of Japan casting her lot with the West. The “strong pull” towards China that he mentioned must not be overlooked, as it is certainly not overlooked in Japan. The Prime Minister of Japan (Mr Yoshida), who is not a Leftist, said recently: “ Red or “white, China remains our next- “ door neighbour. Geography and “economic laws will, I believe, pre“yail in the long run over any “ ideological differences or artificial “ trade harriers ”, The real danger of the return of sovereignty to Japan under any peace treaty, “hard" or “soft , is that Japan may some day cast her lot with-the Communist Powers But peace has to be made in some way, and a “ peace of reconciliation ” at least gives the possibility of winning and retaining the good will of Japan, on which peace in the Pacific may ultimately depend. Mr Doidge and his Government can be content that they have played well their not inconsiderable part in opening up that prospect ,
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Bibliographic details
Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26488, 1 August 1951, Page 6
Word Count
503Japanese Peace Treaty Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26488, 1 August 1951, Page 6
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