JAPAN’S POLICY

Taranaki Daily News, 20 February 1935, Page 5

JAPAN’S POLICY

VEILED ANNEXATION ATTITUDE TOWARD CHINA NULLIFYING “OPEN DOOR” LORD LOTHIAN’S OPINION DANGERS OF SITUATION By Telegraph—Press Assn.— Copyright London, Feb. 18. “Japan hopes to face the world with a fait accompli in China, analogous to that in Manchukuo, at the expiry of the two years’ notice of denunciation of the Washington Treaty,” says the Marquess of Lothian, Under-Secretary for India, former editor of the Round Table and secretary to Mr. Lloyd George during the war, in a letter to the Times. Lord Lothian adds that Japan is tearing up the Washington Treaties and nullifying the integrity of China and the “open door” policy under the Nine Power Treaty. “China does not want Japan to absorb her, but wants to stand on her own legs without foreign control. The British Empire, the United States, France and Russia can more effectively help her than the Japanese, “I urge Britain, without awaiting the arrival of the Empire Prime Ministers, to mobilise the other Nine Power TreAy signatories to decide whether Japan should be allowed to repeat in China on a gigantic scale her whole policy of veiled annexation already carried out in Manchukuo,” concluded Lord Lothian.

The Foreign Office says it is watching the position closely. The Nine Power Treaty meeting is at present not contemplated, but the authorities admit that the situation is interesting, but there is a tendency to regard Lord Lothian as slightly pessimistic. The despatches which have so far reached Whitehall in connection with the Sino-Japanese conversations do not carry the position as far as Lord Lothian. Nevertheless, Britain clearly shares General Smuts’ and Lord Lothian’s belief that the situation is becoming dangerous.

The Japanese are flouting the “open door” policy, but the British policy in the Far East is most indefinite. There is the strongest desire to retain Japanese friendship, but simultaneously there is a realisation that Japanese activities challenge all the Western interests.