The Timaru Herald MONDAY, JANUARY 3, 1938 JAPAN’S ATTITUDE TO THE OCCIDENT.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20925, 3 January 1938, Page 8

The Timaru Herald MONDAY, JANUARY 3, 1938 JAPAN’S ATTITUDE TO THE OCCIDENT.

Not until the true mentality of the Japanese official class, no less than that of the rank and file of the people, in relation to foreigners generally is fully understood abroad, will the precise nature of the Japanese tactics associated with Nippon’s statement on the attacks on British war vessels, be understood. In the first place, it may be taken for granted that the text of the Japanese reply to Britain’s protests has been designed not for the information of the people of Japan, but for consumption abroad. Moreover, the Western world can scarcely fathom the depth of the arrogance of the Japanese army leaders in relation to the rights and wishes of Western countries with interests in the Orient. Manifestly the “Children of the Gods” cherish nothing but the most deep-rooted repugnance for all foreigners, who are regarded by the Japanese as barbarians, who are destined inevitably to come under the rule of Japan. It is therefore, of more than passing interest to note that The Times points out that immediately after the Note had been handed to the British Ambassador, and before it could be in the hands of the British Government, the Japanese service departments made public their own version of the Yangtse incidents, which at several points are wholly incompatible with the facts reported to the British Government by the commanders of the vessels which were attacked. This is characteristic of the Japanese; indeed, it is doubtful if Nipponese officialism will permit either the Emperor or the people to learn of Japan’s apology to Britain and the undertaking given to pay compensation and also the guarantees given against a repetition of the outrages. As a matter of fact, because the policy of Japan in the Orient is designed to destroy the prestige of the Western people in the eyes of the Oriental nations, no opportunity will be lost in pursuing this policy of arrogant expansion. Japan will proceed with her plans to uproot Western influences in the Orient, and it is not unlikely as the happenings of recent years have shown, that Japan will continue to be associated with incidents and outrages, against Westerners and foreigners generally, which will be followed by expressions of regret, abject apologies, offers to pay compensation and even undertakings not to do it again. “The tone of the Note, published in Japan,” The Times points out, “is in places objectionable.” The Japanese militarists are so completely wrapped up in their own superiority, that only the sharpest reminder will convince them that Britain and the United States are determined to protect their interests in the Orient. The fundamental weakness behind the Notes and protests addressed to Japan by Great Britain and the United States is that the people in both countries are not only known to favour collective discussions, but to be opposed to any recourse to anything in the way of a challenge being thrown down to Japan. Moreover, the Japanese militarists, who are obviously in control of the attack Nippon is directing not only against China, but against all Western influence in the Orient, know perfectly well in their campaign which they aver is designed to counter the advance of Communism in the Orient, they can count on the backing of the Fascists of Italy and the Nazis of Germany. No one outside the ranks of the signatories knows the exact terms of the anti-Communist Pact concluded by Japan, Germany and Italy What is known, however, ought to be sufficient to warn the chancelleries of London, Washington and Paris, and the smaller democratic powers that in facing up to Japan they have to reckon on powerful Italo-German backing that is designed to encourage Japan to pursue the most ruthless campaign in the Orient, regardless of the protests of what one of the inspired newspapers under Signor Mussolini’s control, describes as “verbose democracies.”

THE INCREASING BURDEN OF TAXATION. Although only the most casual interest will be aroused in the holiday season by the publication of the customs figures for the year 1937, it is interesting to note in passing that the returns, as far as Timaru is concerned, disclose substantial increases in nearly all sections. Nevertheless the official returns are interesting because of the very strong attack the Labour Opposition were launching in 1935 against such iniquitous levies on the taxpayers for sales tax, and customs taxation, as well as the high exchange. The amounts collected in Timaru for the last month of the year just closed and in 193 G and for the whole year in 1936 and 1937 show:

Doubtless the people of South Canterbury who have any recollection of the tierce denunciation indulged in by Labour condidates in all parts of New Zealand in 1935 in relation to the sales tax, customs taxation and unemployment levies will peruse the official figures for this district and then for the whole of the Dominion, and will then begin to ask themselves just what they think of the way in which they were persuaded to vote for the abolition of the sales tax, the lifting of the exchange rate, the cancellation of the unemployment tax because unemployment was to disappear as if by magic! And as for the millions being drawn into the national treasury through the customs taxes, every Labour speaker denounced this form of insidious and indirect taxation as an iniquitous burden on the shoulders of the masses. And to-day, the funds drawn from the pockets of the people through the sales tax alone have increased so enormously that this tax is sufficient to pay for the whole of the cost of the New Zealand system of education that is met out of taxation; indeed, while the Minister of Education and the Government generally persists in boasting of the extra-generous provision being made for the social services of the Dominion, it is enough to say that the increased returns drawn from sales tax, more than provides for all the increased expenditure provided for education, out of the Consolidated Fund. The Government on its part is claiming that it has introduced a plan to provide for a changed distribution of national income The customs returns plainly indicate that. Manifestly a Government which takes into its own coffers something like £35,000,000 in one form or another of direct and indirect taxation, has certainly introduced a new scheme for the redistribution of the national income, that has turned the direction of a bigger and bigger slice of the individual incomes into the national treasury by means of a scale of taxation unparalleled in the history of the Dominion.

December December Year Year 1937 1936 1937 1936 £ £ £ £ Customs .. .. .. 10,816 9,046 96,401 88,182 Sales tax .. 1,743 1,784 20,481 18,022 Petrol tax .. .. 7,192 5,004 47,937 45,282 Miscellaneous .. 3,194 4,685 35,808 32,442 — — — — Total , .. £22,945 £20,517 £200,627 £183,928