The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1934. JAPAN’S NAVAL POLICY

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 297, 12 September 1934, Page 8

The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1934. JAPAN’S NAVAL POLICY

hi view of the events in the Far East in the last three years the trend of Japan’s naval policy has become a matter of considerable concern to the other great Powers. The general expectation is a at the Naval Conference next year she will make a formal deman for parity of strength*with these countries, and the feeling is that it this demand is refused she will take her own line, as she qid a Geneva over the crisis with China, and build up to parity, it not beyond it. In anticipation of such a possibility preliminary discussions are to take place in London next month to enable the Japanese representatives to submit their , views. «- • < J A cable message yesterday reported the Japanese official spoKesman as stating to foreign journalists that what his country wantec was “a new naval treaty to replace 'the present unsatisfactory pac., and to reduce armaments and the people’s burdens.’ This .statemen. is in line with much of what has appeared,recently in Japanese j ourna s reflecting official policy, which is summed up in the phrase, security and economy.” Japan is willing tq scale down her naval strengni in corresponding measure to that pf other Powers, but only on“a oasis of parity. If that condition is not conceded, she will take independen action. This' attitude is on all fours with Germany’s undertaking to disarm, if she is allowed to do so on level terms with other nations. Opinion in Japan appears to be strongly in favour of abrogating the Washington and London Treaties, before the Naval Conference opens, thus clearirig the ground for fresh approach to the question, but the Government’s policy is so to regulate its diplomacy that if a breakdown occurs in the negotiations Japan will' be able to blame the others. Much depends, therefore, on the result of the preliminary conversations next month. ■ a . . In the meantime there is evidence that systematic efforts ate being made to mobilise Japanese public opinion in favour of parity. The London Naval Treaty was regarded as a set-back for the Japanese .militarists, who at the moment were not in public _ favour, they have, been endeavouring in the interval to retrieve their position, am* have’ been greatly assisted in that respect by recent events m the Far East. These-combined to create what the militarists described as a state of “emergency.” Japan,'they, declared, must be prepared to defend her gains in Mfiftichuktio, and to deal firmly with Russia should the occasion arise. In other words; there has been, in J a P a(l ’ a change in the .public atmosphere surrounding tlife question. What the Japanese Government has to consider, however; is world opinion. "Security and economy” seems a reasonable'basis for negotiation, but the difficulty will be to determine at what point the one impairs the virtue of the o{her.' Security,has been'the'bane of the Geneva disarmament discussions,..and may well prove to be, the stumbling-block at the discussions now impending. v '