NEW NAVAL RACE

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 171, 17 April 1934, Page 9

NEW NAVAL RACE

Attitudes of America and Japan

REPORT VOICES FEARS Great Danger of Further Building of Ships SUGGESTED ALTERNATIVE By D h.—Press Assu.— Cony right (Received April 16, 7.10 p.m.) Washington, April 15. A report on Far Eastern conditions issued to-day by the Foreign Policy Association predicts an end to international naval limitation and the inauguration of a new naval race In the Pacific unless America and Japan modify I heir policies before the 1936 naval ecni'erence. The report points out that Washington policy, as. stated by Mr. H. L. Stimson, makes the Manchukuo situation and naval ratio, interrelated and interdependent, while Japan contends that they are separate and distinct. It is suggested that America can either ease the situation by accepting the situation in Manchuria and granting other concessions, such as allowing Japanese immigration on a quota basis and removing naval bases in the Philippines, otherwise “the Japanese refusal to discuss Manchuria and the insistence of the United States on the inclusion of Manchukuo would almost certainly lead to a complete deadlock.

‘•Theoretically the United States could attempt to challenge Japan’s supremacy in Asia by threatening to expand Lite navy. The consequences of such a programme, however, would be incalculable. To make the threat effective the United States would be compelled to abrogate the Washington agreements, build a navy at least twice the size of Japan's and fortify naval liases in the Pacific. Since Japan would also be forced to expand her navy the result would inevitably be a naval race which would endanger peace in the Pacific.” JAPAN’S PURCHASES .War Materials From America. Washington, April 6. Secretly' apprehensive. Washington is walciiiijg the mounting Japanese purchases of war material from the United States, on top of the vast buying of cotton, army equipment, scrap iron, bullet lead, and steels in 1933. . Japan’s current orders include 150 tons of special nickel steel, and even more steel bars, slabs and ingots, 200 armv tanks. 3000 army aeroplane engines, 5.000,000 dollars (about £l,OOO- - worth of firearms. 1,000,000 feet of gunstave timber, and increased quantities of nitrates and cotton.

Apprehension is heightened by reports that arms and ammunition plants in Japan are running day and night, and that Japan is preparing for war in 1935, when her withdrawal from the League of Nations will take’effect, and further isolate her. Japan is expected to take a firm stand then against a possible move to deprive her of the mandates over Pacific islands from Hawaii to the Philippines. She also faces the likelihood of a dispute over naval parity with the United States and. Great Britain, and the possibility of a clash with Russia