BRITAIN IN THE FAR EAST

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 14 July 1925, Page 4

BRITAIN IN THE FAR EAST

TIIE confusion of international affairs in th>. Far East is made all the greater by the inability of the Great Powers concerned to pull together. That lack of unity must, necessarily encourage the factions of disorder in China. The object of Russian intrigue is to separate Britain from the other Powers and restrict the quarrel to Britain and China and the action of the French Legation at Pekin and the reported initiative taken by the American Government seems to show that the Russian intrigue has - partly succeeded. Therefore the policy advocated by the London Times is probably the best. It advocates Britain adopting a strong and sell-dependent il isolated attitude in the Far East. It. would not he the first time that Britain has had to act alone in reference to Chinese affairs. There was a classic occasion when she opposed all the Great Powers in regard to their policy in China, and by so doing she made a fast friend of Japan, whose interests the other Great P-wers flouted. That friendship crystalised in tin' AngloJapanese Alliance, which bore such good fruit, in 1914. But for Britain to pursue again so strong a policy in the I'ar East, necessitates her assuming again the role of a strong naval Power in Eastern waters. This development would he dependent upon the establishment at Singapore of a first-class naval base, a work which the British Government is all-too-slowly carrying out. It is a work in which Australia and New Zealand are greatly interested and towards which they might very well ho asked to contribute. It is hoped that the new aspect taken by the bar Eastern question will cause this work tr» he accelerated since it is evident that the lack of naval strength in Far Eastern waters is detrimentally affecting British prestige in the bar East.