NOT AGGRESSIVE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18579, 13 December 1934, Page 5

NOT AGGRESSIVE

JAPANESE POL'ICY ST AT EMENTS EXP LAIN ED (Elec. Tul. Copyright— United Pres 3 Assn.) WASHINGTON, Dec. 11. Mr. Hirosi Saito, Japanese Ambassador in the United Statc-s, speaking here/ said: "Japan’s aim is the establishment of peace and order in the Far East.”

llr. Saito insisted that the statements ascribed to him in an interview at Philadelphia had been misinterpreted. He said that what he meant was that both Britain and the United States would “eventually understand our policy.” He added: “If, however, the United States and Britain fail to understand, and attempt forcibly to make us swerve from our course, then Japan would be forced to fight. That is different from saying, as I am quoted, that we will pursue our plans in the Far East even if we have to fight Britain and the United States. “I was asked,” he said, “whether fighting both Britain and the United States would not be too big a job for Japan; in fact, would it not be national suicide. I replied that might lie so, but Japan would still achieve its peaceful goal. Japan has no desire to become an imperialistic nation, and we have no idea of becoming the aggressor in any conflict.” Secret documents from the files of the Du Pont Company, placed in evidence before the Senate Anns Committee to-day, revealed that since 1923 the company has been selling to the Japanese explosive-making machinery and military supplies on the express approval of tlie War arid Navy Departments.

According to tlie- testimony, high military officers held that supplying such materials was valuable to American defence plans as it kept them informed of what Japan is doing along military lines.