DELICATE SITUATION.

Wairarapa Age, 26 August 1933, Page 5

DELICATE SITUATION.

JAPAN AND THE BRITISH EMPIRE. DIFFICULTIES OVER TRADE PROBLEMS. grievances on both sides. (Received Friday, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, August 24. “The Sun” says a very delicate situation confronts the Empire in connection with the Japanese trade nego'tiatioßS. Japan’s suspicious of Britain are deep-seated. The Government, public, newspapers and industrialists are extremely sensitive, fearing the Empire is organising an anti-Japanese trade boycott.

The tension is increased by the allegation of Yorkshire, Lancashire, the Dominions and Colonies of slave labour, which the Japanese bitterly resent and British official quarters admit to be unjustified. It is recognised that Europe is no longer able to compete with the low grade manufactures of Japan, China, and India. These 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 the freedom of trade navigation within the Empire. The Japanese refused the Etapire ,a corresponding benefit, and furthermore refused to allow British ships to engage in inter-port trade in Japan. The Japanese luxury tariff hit Britain. 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 case 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.