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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 16 January 1939, Page 6

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JAPAN’S NEW POLICY UNCERTAINTY AND GRAVE ANXIETY EXPRESSED fßritish Official Wireless! (Received 16th January, 12.10 p.m.) RUGBY, 15th January. The British Note presented to Japan by Sir Robert Craigie, on 14th January, expresses the uncertainty and grave anxiety in which Britain has been left by a study of Japan’s new policy in Far Eastern affairs as set out in the recent statement by Prince Konoye, Minister without Portfolio, and other Japanese statesmen. It adds that this uncertainty has not been removed by conversations on the subject between Sir Robert Craigie and Mr H. Arita, Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs, from time to time. The Note continues: “From these pronouncements and other official information issued in Japan, the British Government infers it that Japan’s intentions are to establish a tripartite combination, or a bloc composed of Japan, China and Manchuria, in which supreme authority will be vested in Japan and subordinate roles will be allotted to China and Manchuria. “So far as China is concerned it is understood that Japan is to exercise control, at least for some time, through the Asia Development Council in Tokio, which is charged with the formulation and execution of the policy connected with political, economic and cultural affairs in China. Your Excellency’s own communication to the Press indicates that the tripartite combination is to form a single economic unit and economic activities of other powers are to be subjected to restrictions dictated by requirements of tli j National defence and economic security of the proposed bloc. According to Prince Konoye hostilities in China are to continue until the present Chinese Government has been crushed or will consent to enter the proposed combination on Japanese terms. China, he said, will be required to conclude with Japan an anti-comintern agreement and Japanese troops are to be stationed at specified points in Chinese territory for an indefinite period, presumably to ensure that the Japanese conditions for the suspension of hostilities are observed. Moreover His Excellency stated that the Inner Mongolian region must be designated as a special anti-Communist area. It is not clear what is meant by this but, in the absence of fuller information, it can only be assumed that Inner Mongolia is to be subjected to an even greater degree to Japanese military control than the other parts of China.” NOT PREPARED TO ACCEPT CHANGES “The British Government is at a loss to understand how Prince *Konoye’s assurances that Japan seeks no territory and respects the sovereignty of China can be reconciled with the declared intention of Japan to compel the Chinese by force of arms to accept conditions involving the surrender of their political, economic and cultural life to Japanese control, the indefinite maintenance in China of considerable Japanese garrisons and a virtual detachment from China of the territory of Inner Mongolia. For its part Britain desires to make it clear that it is not prepared to accept or recognise changes of the nature indicated, which were brought about by Japan. Britain intends to adhere to the principles of the Nine Power Treaty and cannot agree to unilateral modification of its terms. It would point ou tthat until the outbreak of the present hostilities the beneficial effects which the Treaty was expected to produce were steadily being realised. The Chinese were maintaining and developing for themselves an effective and stable Government, and the principal of equal opportunity for commerce and industry of all nations was bringing prosperity to

China and to her international trade, including that with Japan. Therefore we cannot agree, as suggested in Japan, that the Treaty is obsolete or that its j provision no longer meets the situation except insofar as the situation has been altered by Japan in contravention of its terms. While, however, Britain maintains that modification cannot be effected unilaterally, and must be by negotiations between all the signatories, it does not contend that treaties are eternal. If, therefore, Japan has any constructive suggestions to make regarding modification of any of the unilateral agreements relating to China, Britain for its part will be ready to consider them. Meantime, Britain reserves all its rights under existing treaties.” LITTLE SACRIFICE BY JAPAN “I am further instructed to refer to that portion of Prince Konoye’s statement of 22nd December which states that Japan is prepared to give consideration to the abolition of extraterritoriality and rendition of foreign concessions and settlements in China. This inducement to China to accept the Japanese plan would appear to entail but little sacrifice on the part of the Japanese, for if they succeed in their plans for control of the country they will have no further need for extraterritoriality or concessions. On the ether hand Britain would recall that it undertook and nearly completed negotiations with the Chinese in 1931 for the abrogation of British extraterritorial rights. Negotiations were suspended by the Chinese Government in consequence of the disturbed conditions following the seizure of Manchuria by the Japanese in that year, but Britain always has been ready to resume negotiations at a suitable time and is prepared to discuss this and other similar questions with a fully independent Chinese Government when peace has been restored. “In conclusion I am to state that if, as is possible, Britain has in any way misinterpreted Japan’s intentions it feels it is because of the ambiguity with which those intentions so far have been expressed, and Britain would welcome a more precise and detailed exposition of Japanese conditions for terminating hostilities and of Japanese policy towards China.”