HOPES NOT REALISED

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 27, 31 July 1940, Page 8

HOPES NOT REALISED

JAPAN'S ATTITUDE

KONOYE GOVERNMENT

ANTI-BRITISH MOVES

OPINION IN LONDON

LONDON, July 30.

Hazarding a guess at some of the questions raised during the secret session of the House of Commons, which concluded tonight, a London commentator said that one of them was almost certainly the increasingly grave situation in the Far East and British relations with Japan.

After referring to the statement of Lord Halifax on the arrest of British subjects in Japan, the commentator continued: "It is clear that the British Government not only takes a serious view of the Japanese situation, but is prepared to take a strong attitude towards Japan. Before the Government of Prince Konoye • took office some people in this country honestly believed that a conciliatory attitude towards Japan would be met by equal conciliation. Others who were not so hopeful felt that the dangers which faced this country in Europe demanded the exercise of the utmost caution in our Far Eastern commitments.

"Obviously we had to do everything humanly possible to avoid increasing the already enormous demands on our Navy, Army, and Air Force. The closing of the Burma Road was not decided, upon without much misgiving or without weighing all the pros and cons, and even then there was a very considerable body of opposition in this country against the concession, which seemed to weigh the scales heavily against China. Actually, of course, the closing of the Burma Road was not as important a concession as at first it seemed. It was only a temporary measure, which became operative during the three months of the rainy season, when the Burma Road could not function efficiently as a highway for the arms traffic into China, and it was contingent also on Japan and China during that period attempting to find some grounds for peace negotiations.

"It is now clear to everybody that the hopes' entertained by those responsible for the Burma Road concession have not been realised. The Government of Admiral Yonai, to which the concession was originally granted, has been replaced by the more nationalist Government of Prince Konoye. Mr. Arita, the Foreign Minister, has been replaced by Mr. Matsuoka. J!Ever since the first Manchurian incident Mr. Matsuoka has been associated with the more extreme school of Japanese statesmen, and it is significant that his return to office should be followed so quickly by anti-British activities. Perhaps this incident is yet another proof of the argument so often advanced since the rise of Hitler that with certain States, as with certain persons, conciliation carried too far is only interpreted as a sign of weakness. Whether that argument is sound «5p not, Great Britain is still able to make powerful demonstrations of her strength in distant oceans, however imminent and however powerful may be'the enemies who are preparing to attack her on her own coasts and in her-own skies."