FROM NEW BASIS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 3, 5 January 1937, Page 7

FROM NEW BASIS

JAPANESE INSISTENCE TALKS ON NONFORTIFICATION PACIFIC AREAS trnited Press Association—By Electric Tel»» crapli—Copyright.) (Received January 5, 10/1 a.m.), TOKIO, Jr ' 4. The Domei news agi. states that it is announced from . -ihoritativc quarters that if non-fortification of Pacific areas is discussed at all, the Government insists that it must be approachcd from an entirely new basis. The announcement recalls that the British Government in December requested Japan to expedite her reply regarding suggested discussions for a continuation of the non-fortifica-tion clause after the lapse of thfl Washington Treaty. The Tokio correspondent of the "New York Times" reported on December 26 that the newspaper "Asahi Shimbun" stated that Japan was not prepared to renew Article 19 of the "Washington Naval Treaty concerning fortifications in the Pacific, but desired a new agreement, adapted to changed conditions. This would be the substance of Japan's reply to Britain. She would point out that the treaty forbids Japan to fortify islands within 500 miles of her shores, but allows the United States to fortify Hawaii, 2400 miles distant. There had also been technical improvement since 1922, enormously enlarging the striking power of fleets and making th» article unreasonable.