EVENTS IN THE EAST

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 10, 13 January 1932, Page 11

EVENTS IN THE EAST

JAPAN AND MANCHURIA

SAMURAI DOMINANCE

Fresh from tho Pacific Relations Conference, where he had good opportunities of securing information regarding conditions in-the East, Mr. J. E. Strachan, principal .of Eangiora High School^ gave a "Post" ropreseutativo a vivid picture of the position on his return to Now Zealand yesterday, 110 was able to visit portions of China and Japan, and doclarcd that to ono accustomed to the spacious and comparatively unhurried life hcrc> it-is difiieult for a New Zealauder to understand life in the East. -

"Hero we divide the, day into three divisions, for work,, recreation, and sleep. In the East there are only two divisions—for work and for sleep. Pleasure-seeking takes the form of stimulation or-drugging of the senses, which soems'to be the only relief from the ceaseless grind.'i' -.-:,.

Mr. Strachan considers Japan to be thoroughly dominated by the Samurai class, which controls polities'ancf publio opinion, arid has carried'the people with it in the Mahehurian movement, directed of course against China. "But if tjhe world sympathises -with China," Sftid'Mr. Strathanj--"their it will b« Sirected against the world. I do'iiot think anything would more please the Japanese fire-eaters than the appearance in Manchuria, of a Chinese national army. But the! Chinese are adopting more subtle methods—of the boycott and propaganda—to defeat Japanese aggressiveness. Meantime, the ' Japanese are fighting a theatrical war, with much waving- of \ swords arid 'shouting of 'Banzais,' but with no real tangible enemy in sight." ; . : ..':.,- ---: PLENTY; OF MtCAWBEE. •■A fortnight in Sydney gave the New Zealand educationist impressibiis whicli he put into caustic language. ''Sydney gave, the idea of a fat man with a load on his'back.trying to hitch himself;up -with .his own braces, and-getting theni tangled around Ms necK :They havd all sorts 'of wondefful schomos for, economic recovery; but they-seemed: to me to be no more than "are-shuffling oi the^eards i they already ■' hold, :rathej; than getting better;cards in their hands.liOtteries, taxation' schemes,- release of bank :depositors' credits, a Tedistribui tion of: title ;to what wealth there is,' but no real attempt "to increase the national income as a whole.' : Tho inarf I: met most frequently in Sydney "wasj Mr. Mieawbeirj still spinning the same! old tale." ..:.."■ i