FRANK BRITISH AMBASSADOR

Evening Star, Issue 23175, 26 January 1939, Page 10

FRANK BRITISH AMBASSADOR

JAPAN S WAR UPON CHINA It is seldom that an Ambassador consents to be interviewed, except on the dullest and most innocuous topics. A - striking exception to this rule was recently furnished by the British Ambassador to China, Sir Archibald Kerr, who gave blunt, straight-from-the-shoulder replies to a Japanese journalist, Yoshitaro Kusuyama, foreign news editor of the ‘ Tdkio ‘ Nichi Nichi,’ ivho interviewed him in Hongkong. Sir Archibald had just returned from Changsha and Chungking, where he talked with Chiang Kai-shek and other Chinese leaders. To questions as to how Chiang Kai-shek had been faring and what his future attitude would be, Sir Archibald replied: “ Chiang Kai-vshek is full of energy. He and his associates are firmly determined to continue protracted resistance against Japan.” When Mr Kusuyama suggested that, despite superficial appearances of unity, there was a real difference of opinion ' between “ die-hards ” and “pacifists” on the Chinese side, the Ambassador promptly dashed his hopes by declaring: “ I met many leaders individually and exchanged views with them frankly. They are all united in asserting that the real war is about to begin,” RAIL AND HIGHWAY NETWORKS. A suggestion from the Japanese journalist that this might have been a diplomatic gesture elicited the following uncompromising response from the British Ambassador: “ I do not believe that Chiang Kaishek has been making any idle boasts. As a proof of what I say, Chiang has been spending enormous sums of money

for constructing railway and highway networks and for industrial developments, so as to continue the protracted warfare. In fact, I was left with the impression that the real war is about to begin." The interview then turned to the questions of British financial aid to China and of British ideas about means or restoring peace in the Orient. Here an-ain Sir Archibald gave Mr Kusuyama little comfort. He flatly denied all rumours of British financial aid to China up to the present, and declared that Chiang Kai-shek had made no peace moves. To a suggestion that I " the impression prevails in Japan that the Kiiomintang leaders are counting on the support of other Powers, including Croat Britain, for their continued resistance to Japan," Sir Archibald retorted: " The Kuropean and American influence in China is not nearly as formidable as yon seem to think. Anti-Jap-anisin is what has unified China."