DEEP SUSPICION OF BRITAIN

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19578, 26 August 1933, Page 17

DEEP SUSPICION OF BRITAIN

JAPANESE TRADE AGGRESSION

URGENT NEED FOR EARLY UNDERSTANDING United Press Association—By Electrlo Telegraph—Copyright (Received August 25, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, August 25. “The Sun” says: A very delicate situation confronts the Empire in connection with Japanese trade negotiations. Japan’s suspicions of Britain are deepseated. The Government, public, newspapers and the industrialists are extremely sensitive, fearing the Empire is organising an anti-Japanese trade boycott. The tension is increased by the allegations of Yorkshire, Lancashire, the Dominions and the Colonies of slave labour, which the Japanese bitterly recent, and which allegations British official quarters admit to be unjustified. Japan’s Challenge to Europe. It is recognised that Europe is no longer able to compete with low grade manufactures from Japan, China and India, which can never be displaced in the Far East. Britain’s case contains several legitimate grievances. For example, Japan’s commercial success has been largely developed by freedom of trade and navigation within the Empire. The Japanese have refused the Empire a corresponding benefit: furthermore, Japan has refused to allow British ships to engage in interport trade in Japan. The Japanese luxury tariff hit Britain, Japan Refuses Reciprocity. Another severe blow was the expulsion of British tobacco interests from Korea; yet Japan fiercely resented Britain, then the only remaining free trade nation, reversing her policy. The British realise that both sides have a cage and will be guided by the principle that it is useless to* retaliate for the sake of retaliation. The British and Japanese must recognise that both would suffer in the event of a Violent tariff war.