JAPAN’S NAVAL POLICY

Evening Star, Issue 22880, 11 February 1938, Page 9

JAPAN’S NAVAL POLICY

COMMON UPPER LIMIT WANTED HO CHANGE IN GENERAL ATTITUDE Press Association—By Telegraph —Copyright TOKIO, Fehruray 10. Mr Noda said that, though the Government was still considering the procedure of answering tho Powers’ inquiry into her naval plans, Japan had in no way changed her position since she left the London conference. Japan stuck to the formula of a common upper limit, both quantitatively and qualitatively, and was likely to join a future conference if on that basis. He said that the Powers had signed a qualitative pact as accomplishing something. Yet scarcely a year after ratification they had already started quantitative expansion, while the position qualitatively was uncertain, proving that Japan’s proposal was fairer. He added: “If wo give the desired information it would hind ns qualitatively, which would be unfair, while, if we do not give this, it appears that others would make it a pretext for expansion on the imaginary ground that Japan was expanding. Countries with smaller resources need greater secrecy due to more necessity to build special classes of warships suitable to defend security.” Mr Noda reiterated that the policy was one of non-menace and non-aggres-sion, and Japan had no idea of starting a race, “ but if expansion by others menaces our security we will not sit idle.”