GRASPING AT ASIA

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18206, 29 September 1933, Page 2

GRASPING AT ASIA

CHECKS ON JAPAN INFLUENCE SPRENDINGLONDON. Sept, IS. Extension of the Japanese sphere ot interest' to letter Mongolia, North Uttnu, and the maritime province ot almost certain, declares the special cmrespondent of the Times m 'Pile life of heavy Russian nuhtavy con centrations on the Amur frontier hangs hy the single thread ot the liansNhenau railway. . , There are ultimately only two faetois to check Japan’s ambitions in Asia-ttie state of her limuicos and the quality ot the Lied Arniv. The Manchukuo Mate set up bv .Japan must bo regarded as a fait accompli. continues the correspondent. The rights and wrongs of Japan s actions in 1931 are no longer relevant either to the present or the future oi the Far Last. The country is undo - going what is best described as ■•enlighlcued exploitation,’ irom which oU.UW,000 inhabitants will benefit. Banditry is the chief obstacle to peace and prosperity. It is estimated that there werb 212,000 bandits last year The number is now officially stated to be 60.CC0, but these are only wholetimers! There are probably another 120,0C0 part-time bandits. The Government is spending 48 times more upon suppression of banditry than upon ei ucation. • Nevertheless, liuancial progress is rapid. Currency stabilisation alone is an inestimable blessing in a country formerly flooded with war lords worthless paper. , Foreign opinion is favorable to the Japanese, but justifiably anxious about the commercial future of the open door.” Manchuria is not quite as wide open as formerly. Extension ot State monopolies will accelerate the almost inevitable doom of foreign commercial interests. Lord Lytton. who headed the League of Nations Commission, which reported against Japan’s -action in -Manchuria, protests against the correspondent s reference to a fait accompli. _ Uje League Assembly, ho says, unanimously condemned Japan’s action. If the doctrine of irrelevancy were accepted, it would destroy the foundations of -peace.

LONDON’S VIEW JAP A XE-SE DEVEI JdPMENTS LONDON, ■Sept. 19. Intense interest is being displayed, here in the appointment of Air. Koki Jlirota as Japanese Foreign Minister; in view of the international, and especially the Pacific, situation. Mr. llirota. with has had wide cosmopolitan and diplomatic experience.’ supersedes the too-Conservative Count Uehida, and Ini will execute the policy of his nominator, the. War Minister, General Araki. The appointment signalises domination of the situation, for which the army lias striven, despite setbacks, since 1914. until the turning point in 1931. The present controllers of Japan’s policy believe that the country is willing to accept Fascist x-ule and will wholeheartedly support the Government. _ It- is regarded in well-informed circles in London as a great stride towards the formation of a Government which shall be Fascist in character and more amen* aide to military influence.