JAPAN’S ATTITUDE TO THE LEAGUE

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 287, 31 August 1935, Page 10

JAPAN’S ATTITUDE TO THE LEAGUE

“A European Clique”

FRANK STATEMENT BY PROFESSOR RUSSO

No Nationalistic Complex

Although Japan had withdrawn from the League of Nations, an Imperial rescript issued afterward indicated that her withdrawal was in no way indicative of her intention not to cooperate . with other nations in international affairs. This statement was made to a representative of “The Dominion” yesterday by Professor I’. A. V. Russo, D.Litt., personal adviser to his Excellency the Japanese Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Mr. Katsuji Debuelii. Professor Russo, who is professor of foreign languages in the Tokio Imperial University of Commerce, joined the Japanese goodwill mission, which is to-day completing its tour of the Dominion, at the invitation of the ambassador. He will, with the other members of the mission, sail for Australia tliis afternoon. The Imperial rescript, Professor Russo said, was indicative of Japans desire to co-operate in international matters and to maintain international relations. Her withdrawal from the League was indicative of Japan’s impression that she had been misunderstood by the League and was not meant to imply that Japan was generating a nationalistic complex ami an isolationistic policy. The present goodwill mission to New Zealand and other nations of the Pacific demonstrated that. In Japan the belief was held that in time the League of Nations and the world would understand her attitude and would realise that the action she had taken had been inevitable, Professor Russo continued. Necessity of Japan's Action. Japan was inviting a study at firsthand of tlie situation in the Far East, and later commissions which had gone to Japan and China had made reportswhich, if not favourable to Japan’s policy, at least showed an understanding of the necessity of Japan’s acting as she did. “Japan considers tliat the League of Nations is really a European clique and that it is absurd to expect a localised body such as the I,eague to hope to understand tlie Eastern situation,” Professor Russo said. It would not be able to do so till it extended to Eastern affairs the same interest as it now took in the affairs of Europe. No definite opinion could be passed on the future of the League till the present European situation, and especially the Abyssinian question, had been settled, the Professor continued. When it was suggested to him that Italy’s position in regard to Abyssinia might be regarded as somewhat aualagous to that of Japan e in regard to Manchuria, Professor Russo said that, on the contrary, Japan had had a very great interest in Manchuria. Japan s Manchurian policy, he said, was necessary for the very existence of the nation. One could not study the Manchurian position off-hand. One had to go back to the Chino-Japanese and the Russo-Japanese Wars and had to study the whole modern history of Japan. Most people did not do that. An isolationist policy was condemned by Japan, Professor Russo said. Cooperation internationally was, after all, purelv cultural and commercial. _ In regard to culture, Japan was unique among the nations in that she had a society which devoted itself entirely to the study of international culture and arranged for the exchange of lecturers with other foreign countries. I Breaking Down Racial Antagonisms.

“Mankind is still socially primitive to a certain extent, and is endeavouring to break down racial antagonisms,” Professor Russo continued. Rivalry and human competition, was one of the main bases of human progress. The only solution was to put this on a sporting basis of goodwill. “You can’t change human nature in a hurry,” he said. The ideal of an international police force was very far in the future for realisation. “Everything we have in civilised life,” he said, “has been founded on rivalry and competition in efficiency;

“How can the League of Nations hope to have an international standing when it refused to recognise the principle of racial equality? h asked. “The whole thing becomes absurd. I’m all for racial equality, with certain limitations. There is an international standard, and when <* country or nation has demonstrated that it has reached that standaid there should not be any more bickering or argument about its claim to equality.”

’Touching on Japan’s population problem Professor Russo recalled the statement of Dr. T. Ueda, of the Imperial University of Commerce, the greatest Japanese authority on-that question. made to the conference of the Institute of Pacific Relations at Banff. Canada. Dr. Ueda hud said that the population of Japan would Probably reach the 190.000.000 mark by IJoO and then decline to round about 90,900,000 just.as had happened in European countries. Well Received in New Zealand. There was no doubt that the Japanese Empire could carry a population of 100,000.000—its population was now 90,000,000, he said. There was a certain amount of emigration to Brazil, but the Japanese were not good emigrants They had great difficulty in getting them to go abroad and when they did it was oyly with the idea or returning home sometime later. Touching on education in modern Japan, Professor Russo said that a university diploma was regarded as the hall mark of education there to an extent astonishing to westerners. One found that office boys and shop assistants had university diplomas. “We have -had a great time in Isew Zealand, and have been very, well received everywhere, both officially and unofficially.” lie continued. Professor Russo at a rough estimate, expressed the view that New Zealand could carry another 19.900,000 of population. It was, of course, not industrialised to the same extent as Japan, and agricultural countries could not be compared with industrial countries directly. New Zealanders had made a high standard of living for themselves. This was very commendable and ought to be maintained. , r Professor Russo is ail Australian cosmopolitan, 27 years of age. He was born at Ballarat and in his veins run French, Italian, Spanish and English blood. He speaks seven languages and.

lias occupied his present position in Tokio since 1932. During student days, when he studied in various European centres under a Mollison post graduate travelling scholarship from the University of Melbourne, he acted as representative at Geneva for six months of a group of Australian newspapers.