THE TRIANGLE OF THE PACIFIC

Evening Star, Issue 19001, 24 July 1925, Page 10

THE TRIANGLE OF THE PACIFIC

JAPAN, BRITAIN, AND AMERICA HOW JAPAN SEES IT Tlio Tokio correspondent of tho ‘Observer’ writes under recent, dnto: — A lew weeks ago a Japanese gentleman, well known in Tokio official circles, was informed by his Government that they wanted him to visit Moscow some time this year for the purpose of carrying out a mission in connection with the recent resumption of diplomatic relations between Japan and .Russia. On tho principle of “ Theirs not to reason why,” Mr A., as wo shall call him, accepted these instructions without demur, and mado arrangements accordingly. A few days later an English friend of his, referring to this matter, twitted him jokingly about his coming mission to tho Soviet Government, as ho had, hitherto, denounced it most vehemently. Mr A.’s retort to the Englishman’s taunts expressed with great truth the opinion held by a largo number of Ja.pa.nese at the present time. “ Yon can laugh at it,” be said, with an attempt at a. smile, “but it is yon British who have forced us into the arms of Russia—you and America.” it was unnecessary for the Englishman to ask bis reasons for this contention, as it is clear to anyone who had studied the situation carefully that the truth of this assertion is hard to deny. In plain words, ho meant that the'British policy of encouraging An-glo-American friendship at all costs, combined with America’s anti-Japanese legislation, has convinced a largo section of the Japanese nation that they must look elsewhere for help and sympathy. A PACIFIC MOVEMENT. In view of Britain’s strong desire for closer Anglo-American relations, Japan, alter the termination of tho Anglo-Japanoso Alliance, decided to extend the basis of her - foreign policy so as to include American as well as British friendship. Her relations with the United States Jmd, up to then, been very strained for some years past, but" the Washington Conference helped to remove tho main causes of friction and the chief sources of trouble ; the auspices for tho extension of her foreign policy basis were therefore good. In accordance with her agreements at Washington, Japan withdrew her troops from Shantung, Hankow, and Siberia; the Yap question and other similar causes of friction were, settled satisfactorily to all concerned; and Japan and America mutually desisted from the construction of fortifications in the restricted area, and cut down the size of their respective naval forces. An anti-military movement, which had been growing up in Japan for some years past, received a great impetus from this display of pacific intentions, though the more jingoistic element derided their Government for bowing to the dictates of Britain and America. The Government, however, paid no attention to .this Inst section, hub concentrated its mind on its newly formulated policy of working in close cooperation with Britain and America, THE EARTHQUAKE AND ITS EFFECTS. Two years later came the terrible earthquake. One outcome of this was the further strengthening of AmcricauJananese friendship. This was engender'd by tho great sympathy and practical help given by the United States to Japan in her hour of trouble. As a result of this, it is probably safe to say that Amcrican-Japanesc relations have seldom, if ever, been better than they were when the year 1923 came to an end. Unfortunately, only a few mouths later, the new anti-Japanese immigration law was passed by the Senate, and all tho good work clone in fostering friendly relations between the two countries was nullified. It was not so much the law itself as the way it was carried out that wounded Japan’s susceptibilities so deeply; to the Japanese it appeared to be a deliberate insult. A strong anti-Ameri-can feeling arose, and relations became strained once more, though happily the provisions of the Washington Treaty helped largely to prevent war from becoming a serious possibility. Nevertheless, this action on the part of the American Senate had much fe do in weakening the counsels ol Japan’s statesmen ■who advocated Au-glo-Japanese-Amencan co-operation, and in strengthening tho hands of tho pro-Russian group. Both Viscount Kato, tho present Premier, and Baron Shidihara, his Foreign Minister, have, hitherto, been strongly in favor of tho former policy, hui, they have been playing a losing game of late. ’They, like tho aforementioned Mr A., who is also a strong advocate of friendship with Britain and America, have very little love for Russia; hut they have, apparently, decided that the time has come to change tlie country’s policy agd to look to cooperation with Russia" and, perhaps a bit later, with Germany as well. WAR RELATIONS. The Anglo-Japancse Alliance was of inestimable value to Japan at the time of her war with Russia, as it acted as a deterrent to any other country from combining with Japan’s antagonist, On the other hand, Russia’s resultant defeat by Japan was invaluable to Britain, as, inter alia, it removed the Russian peril from India. Then, again, in the late World War, quite apart from the valuable assistance actually given by Japan, the alliance kept her from joining with Germany as she might quite possibly have done if there had been no snob pact in force. Japan had no dislike for Germany; in fact, there was a strong proGerman party in Japan, and many Japanese were firmly convinced tin;I Germany was going to win. Had it not been for ihe Alliance, therefore, it is unlikely that Japan would have joined the Allies; in all probaoility she would have either remained neutral, or joined forces with the Central Powers. In either case, it would have added very greatly to our responsibilities, as we would have had to keep large and ill-afforded naval forces in the Far East.

Under those circumstances Japan cannot be blamed if sbo considers that Britain was selfish in terminating the Alliance as soon as she bad obtained all she wanted from it. The fact that it was ended for the purpose of putting a stop to America’s groundless suspicions, Irrespective of Japan’s wishes in the matter, was another point of grievance. Ilightly or wrongly, the Japanese way ol looking at it was that Britain, being a debtor to the United States, was prepared to do almost anything America wanted her to do. America wanted her to give up the Alliance, so she did so; and, to quote another instance, America disliked the idea of an official British aviation mission being sent to train and reorganise the Japanese Air Force, so Britain rejected Japan’s request for one,

SINGAPORE. The Australian and Canadian attitude in regard to Japanese immigration may be justifiable, but it hardly tends to encourage Japan to go out of her way to seek the friendship of the Mother Country. The Singapore base may be—one may say is—essential for the proper protection of our trade routes, and cannot, in reality, he regarded as a menace to Japan; hut it hardly reassures Japan when a member of Parliament announces in the House of Commons that his reason for supporting the measure is that it would be “a most friendly act towards the United States, which is in severe danger in regard to the Philippine Islands”; nor -;do such articles as that which appeared in the November number*, of the ‘(fortnightly Review,’ by Mr V£, PL Gardfneij vice-president of

the American Navy League, calm the forebodings of the Japanese on this and the Pacific question in general. More recently stdl, Japanese feelings have been aggravated by the ill-ad-vised speech of Sir Charls Higbam in America at the end of March, and by the article by Sir Herbert Mossed, in the ‘Daily Express.’ raising groundless fears in regal'd to Japan’s naval programme. No one can. blame the British Government or ihe British public in general for seeking to strengthen AngloAmerican friendship. It is a great aim and worth considerable '•aeriiice; but, in carrying out this policy, surely it is possible? to avoid turning an .Id, welltried Ally and would-be friend into a potential enemy liv repelling lier advances''’ The Far East, with its huge possibilities, looms into greater importance every year. Just ns AngloAmerican friendship is ef great importance in the Western Hemisphere, so is A nglo-Jajmnoso-Amorican co-operation essential in the Far East if peace is to he maintained in that quarter of the world. There ‘ire bound to be differences of opinion from time to time, but they can be tided over if only these three great Powers show a true spirit of give-and-take for the common good.