BASELESS REPORTS

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 51, 1 March 1935, Page 9

BASELESS REPORTS

JAPAN AND CHINA

REPLY TO LORD LOTHIAN

(Received March I, 11 a.m.)

LONDON, February 28.

Following letters in "The Times* challenging Lord Lothian's letter the Foreign Office Spokesman at Tokia made a statement describing as entirely absurd and baseless the reports telegraphed to London that Japan was trying to persuade China to withdraw from the League of Nations, dismiss her, foreign advisers, and participate \n the formation of an Asiatic bloc in. return for Japanese financial assistance.

The Spokesman- said: "Japan. desires friendly relations. Why should we impair amicable intercourse by such forceful persuasions?"

, Referring to Lord Lothian's advocacy of the mobilisation of the Nine-Power signatories, the Spokesman said: "We cannot avpid the suspicion that the critics desire to disturb Far Eastern peace or are machinating to estrange China and Japan."

"Japan hopes to face the world with a fait accompli in China, analogous to Manchukuo, at the expiry of two-years' notice of denunciation of the Washington Treaty," wrote Lord Lothian in a letter to "The Times" on February 18. He added: "Japan is tearing up the Washington Treaties and nullifying the integrity of the China open door under the Nine-Power Treaty. China does not • want Japan to absorb her; she wants to stand on her own legs without foreign control. The British Empire, the United States, France, and Russia can more effectively help her than the Japanese. I urge Britain, without awaiting the arrival of the Empire Prime Ministers, to mobilise the other Nine-Power signatories to decide whether Japan shall, be allowed to repeat in Chiha on a gigantic scale the whole policy of veiled annexation already carried out in Manchukuo."