JAPAN AND THE LEAGUE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17140, 21 April 1919, Page 5

JAPAN AND THE LEAGUE.

EQUALITY of race ISSUE.

alternative to INCLUSION.

WITHDRAWAL OF DELEGATES. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.

(Reed. 5.5 p.m.) NEW YORK. April 19. Paris correspondent of the New York World says that Baron Makimo, Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs, and a delegate to the Peace Conference, received definite instructions from Tokio telling him to return to Japan if race equality in the League of Nations covenant were rejected. DECISION OF COMMISSION. OPPOSITION BY MR. HUGHES. Australian Mid N.Z. Cablo Association. (Rccd. 5.5 p.m.) NEW YORK. April 19. The Paris correspondent of the New York Times learns that 11 members of the League of Nations Commission voted for the adoption of the race equality clause of the covenant, and six members voted against it. The fact that the decisions of the commission must be unanimous prevents Japanese success. The correspondent adds that cable advices received by the Japanese delegates from Tokio say that the defeat of the racial equality clause caused excitement in Japanese cities and riots are feared. It is understood the Japanese delegates will make issue on the question when the plenary session of the conference is held. In the meanwhile an effort is being made to induce the representatives of Australia and New Zealand to withdraw their opposition.

The Paris correspondent of the New York Herald says that when the League of Nations Commission began consideration of Japan's amendment endorsing the principle of the equality of nations the entire committee, save Mr. W. M. Hughes, virtually did not oppose the amendment. Mr. Hughes raised the race cry with a hint that he would repeat it at the plenary session of the Peace Conference 1 unless Japan's efforts were thwarted. It is reported that the remainder of the British delegation did not seriously oppose Japan's amendment, but were not able to change Mr. Hughes's attitude. JAPANESE PRESS DEMAND. ORIENT MONROE DOCTRINE. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Reed. 5.5 p.m.) TOKIO. April 19. The Japanese Press is demanding that Japan withdraw from the League of Nations and create its own Monroe Doctrine in the Orient because of the rejection of racial equality. The newspaper Hochi Shimbun blames Britain for allowing Mr. Hughes and Australia to sway her attitude. POLITICAL PRESSURE. UNREST AND SOCIALISM. A. and N Z. PARIS. April 18. The Australian Press Association has good reason to believe that the Japanese delegates were reluctantly compelled to press their equality claim in the League of Nations Covenant by political pressure from Japan. Members themselves, with the knowledge they, possessed on the spot, considered its inclusion impolitic. Mr. Woodrow Wilson originally favoured the claim, but Mr. Lloyd George opposed it, and Mr. Wilson yielded finally to his view. Unrest in Japan, apparently, was the factor that urged the Japanese representatives to endeavour to secure recognition of equality with a view to quieting Socialist aspirations, which ar6 believed to be rapidly moving throughout Japan. It is now feared that failure to secure equality may cause a crisis there.