JAPAN TO-DAY

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 145, 16 December 1927, Page 11

JAPAN TO-DAY

HER RISE AND IDEALS

LECTURE BY CONSUL-GENERAL

It waa a happy idea to have asked Mr. Iyemasa Tokugawa, the Japanese Consul-General, to give a public lecture, and not one of the many who were present last night in the Dominion Farmers' Institute went home without a deeper knowledge and a fuller appreciation of our northern Pacific allies and their country. To the spoken word, and Mr. Tokugawa's English is fluent and attractive, were added many beautiful slides illustrating the lecturer's remarks.

It was essential, said tho lecturer, for peoples to know each other and to understand each other's standpoint. In view of the close relationship existing between Japan and New Zealand it might be said that there was no necessity to study further each other's standpoint, but it was impossible for the peoples of the two countries to kaow each other too well. Japan had sprung from seclusion and adopted Western ideas comparatively recently, it being in 1868 that the old system of Government was abolished and a new era begun. Mr. Tokugawa then quoted statistics to show how great Japan's advance had been, explaining the reason, why his country had been able to make such extraordinarily rapid strides. This was due to her policy of seclusion during which her culture advanced to such a degree that when her doors were thrown open to "Western ideas the seed fell on fertile ground. Western ideas were ready-made, and in their best form. It was to defend her interests that Japan fought with China and then with Kussia, both these wars being necessary. Some people talked about the aggressiveness of Japan and put Japan's present position down to this, but it was not her policy or in her interests to risk war. Japan in world affairs was a young country, and her peaeefulness had yet to be proved. England had fought many wars, and won them too, yet she was not looked upon as an aggressive country. That Japan was allied with England proved that the former was prepared to adopt the policy of the latter. The unity of the British Empire was a .strong factor >in maintaining the peace of the world, this being what Mr. Amery had emphasised both in Australia and New Zealand.

Touching on the question of population, Mr. Tokugawa said that this question was bound v; with the food supply. Parts of Japan were not so thickly populated as others. Korea had been found suitable for growing rico, the chief article of diet in Japan, therefore people were being encouraged to go there. It was au established policy on the part of Japan not to encourage emigration to countries who did not want Japanese.

Japan's trade with America was a great factor in preserving the peace between those two countries. Japan's silk exports annually amounted to £87,----000,000, America taking £84,000,000 of this, so it was hardly likely that Japan would risk the loss of this and other-trade. The unsatisfactory balance of trade with New Zealand needed Teinedying: New Zealand sent annually to Japan goods to the value of £162,000 and imported from Japan goods to the value of £582,000.

At the conclusion of his remarks, Mr. Tokugawa explained the slides as they were thrown upon the screen, the views being thoroughly representative of old and new Japan, and of Japanese at work and at play.