JAPANESE PEACE TREATY

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26524, 12 September 1951, Page 7

JAPANESE PEACE TREATY

Little Jubilation In Tokyo

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (R ?c- 7 m ß m > ’LONDON, Sept. 10. _. The „ T ®ky° correspondent of "The T “ n ,®® . 80 y« that the editorial opinion of all the leadin'? Japanese newspapers is that the Japanese people can look forward to the future only with disquietude.

News of the signing of the Japanese Peace Treaty was greeted In Tokyo with little or no jubilation. .A Socialist Party statement said that the Javanese people must realise that the treaty wag far from being one of reconciliation. The stationing of foreign troops in Japan would aggravate the crisis in the Far East. Japan would probably become alienated from the rest of Asia.

The Emperor has let It be known that he was satisfied with the speech by the Prime Minister (Mr Yoshida) at San Francisco in which he set out the Japanese position. The correspondent adds that everywhere there is resentment over Japan’s territorial losses and it is Claimed that the principles of the Atlantic Charter are not being observed. British Press Comment

The treaty had been signed with much more ease and much less opposition than was expected, says “The Times.” in a leading article. Yet if Mr Grorrvko failed to mar or even to de’av the ceremony, it was fair to add some of the Russian amendments were not unreasonable.

“The Times” also refers to the “curious sense of disouiet over the anti-climax at San Francisco.” It says that Mr Gromyko had at least been expected to make some far-reaching nroposal for a settlement in Asia and. for an end to the Korean war. and even President Truman seemed to look forward to such an offer. But the treaty had been signed and the Korean war -»oes on.

“The silence of Mr Gromyko is bound to place recent events there in a somewhat different light. It was w’dely assumed. f or instance, that the Communists’ decision to suspend the talks had somethin" to do with the conference in Ban Frnricisco. It was easy to imagine that the Soviet Government wished to use the war in Korea as a bargaining counter. All the forecasts have been proved wrong.” “Lonv-Term Gam*” The “Manchester Guardian” comments: “Perhaps Moscow will lessen the chagrin o' its defeat by telling itself that ’t is ’-layin-’ a long-term rams. Mr Gromyko managed to place a number of points on reread. He showed Peking that Russia still had its interest _at heart. His main speech, though it contained nothing new, was a summing up of Russia's Asian policy; Russia's own version of the Japanese treatv was implicit in the speech. He warned the world against a revival of Japanese militarism and he wanted the size o f the Japanese forces to be limited.

“He said that there could be no realitv in a Far Eastern settlement if it excluded Communist China as a negotiator. He urged that Janan should nav reparations. He argued that if foreign trooos remain in Japan after the treaty, this would infringe Japan's sovereignty. He said the treaty would lead to war. “Some of the points will meet with fairly wide sympathy; it may help Russia at some later stage if it is remembered that Mr Gromvkp put them forward at the San Francisco conference. There will be some criticism or warning. which will fit almost anv of the alternative developments which may come about. If anything goes wrong with the carry'ng-out of the treaty—'or example, if Janan disappoints its sponsors—there will be Plenty of recrimination. But meanwhile, Russia, by refusing to sign the treatv, has deprived itself of an important asset for Communism—a Russian Embassy at Tokyo.” The Communist “Daily Worker" said that America had now taken over Janan. lock, stock and barrel as a war base.