Wairarapa Times-Age FRIDAY, JULY 14, 1939. AN INAUSPICIOUS APPROACH.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 July 1939, Page 4

Wairarapa Times-Age FRIDAY, JULY 14, 1939. AN INAUSPICIOUS APPROACH.

TT would be difficult to imagine any less promising approach than that being made to the conference between British and Japanese representatives at Tokio, which is now announced to open tomorrow. The British Government no doubt is perfectly sincere in its expressed desire to reach by negotiation a. settlement of the issues raised at Tientsin and elsewhere in China, but the Japanese as plainly are making a mockery of the conference before it begins.

Yesterday’s reports go to show that the campaign against foreigners in China is being intensified and extended. The abuses and barbarities of the blockade of the Concessions at Tientsin are being continued and now a new threat is raised to tlie lives and property of foreign residents by a Japanese warning to evacuate three ports in Fukien Province against which military operations are intended.”

As if this were not enough, a savage anti-British campaign is being developed in Tokio and in other parts of Japan. Every telegraph pole in Tokio, it was reported yesterday, is plastered with slogans hostile to Britain, “and retired genera s are haranguing mass meetings of vociferous patriots. In spile of disclaimers by the Japanese Government, it is well understood that nothing in the way of public agitation gets much more than started in Japan unless it has the approval ol the Government, and particularly of the military autocracy which is nominally responsible to the Emperor, and admits no other supreme authority.

The position indicated is that the Japanese authorities . it is a little uncertain whether that term really implies anything more than the militarist faction—are deliberately wrecking any possibility of a. genuine attempt to reach by negotiation a settlement of the questions now raised in China. The situation .justifies the recent statement of an American commentator that by their conduct the Japanese are making the maintenance of diplomatic relations with the Government in Tokio more and more difficult for all civilised nations.

Various theories are current as to the hopes the factions dominant in Japan are basing upon the possible outbreak of a European war. It is suggested that these factions believe in any case that Britain and other European nations are too much occupied at present to be able to defend vigorously their rights and interests in the Far East. The Japanese may include Russia in this estimate of European preoccupation, to the extent at least of believing that Russia is a less dangerous enemy than she would be if settled peace reigned in Europe.

On the whole, the most convincing explanation of Japan’s present tactics is that her leaders are counting upon a large measure of immunity and freedom of action in East Asia and at present are more inclined to attack foreign rights and interests in the treaty ports than to pursue their invasion of China. In that invasion Japan has now reached a position of stalemate in which she is unlikely to make any further considerable gains, save at inordinate cost, unless there is an unexpected collapse of Chinese organisation and morale. The coast, with its ports and the great plains of China, with their rivers and railways, are actually or ostensibly in Japanese hands.

Any great extension of the area of invasion would involve an attempt to penetrate rugged and mountainous country in which the increasing Chinese armies, now well supplied with light weapons, would he much less at a disadvantage than they have been in the campaigns fought on the plains and along the river valleys. This enterprise is the less attractive to the Japanese since, though they have a million men in the field, their lines from the Amur River, facing Soviet Siberia, to Hainan Island, in the extreme south of China, are very thinly held. The term “occupied area” is to be accepted with limitations. A recent and apparently dependable report stated that the eleven provinces comprised in “occupied China” are subdivided into 941 counties and that in 583 of these counties officials loyal to the Chinese National Government are still in absolute control.

11 is not. at all unlikely that in these circumstances the Japanese militarists are inclined to concentrate on exploiting what they already hold in China —particularly the rich commercial areas —and that in furtherance bf that aim they are prepared to go to considerable lengths, and if need be to face heavy risks, in trampling on foreign rights in China.

Very possibly, Britain may find herself in a position of extreme difficulty at the conference which opens in Tokio and afterwards. Britain is not alone concerned, however. In asserting sovereignty over the Chinese seaboard, Japan of necessity is challenging all foreign rights in China and is dangerously developing the policy of lawless aggression in the Pacific. Regarded realistically, the situation is not less menacing from the standpoint of the United Slates than from that of the British Empire. THE GREATEST NEW ZEALANDER. \RE the people of Alasterton and its district really content with the support they have thus far given to the Truby King-Memorial Blind.’ As 1 lie Mayor (Mr T. Jordan) observed at tin 1 annual meeting of the Alasterton branch of the Plunket Society, we have failed to subscribe anything like a decent amount as our share towards providing a fitting memorial Io the greatest, New Zealander —a man whose work for humanity has gained world-wide recognition. At its last publication, the list of acknowledgments showed a sum of under £(>o in hand. A considerable number of people have contributed to this total, but a very much larger number have not. This is a humiliating state of affairs, but one that may lie rectified very easily if even a proportion of those who have every reason to think of the late Sir Truby King with unbounded gratitude and admiration will give a little thought to the appeal. In New Zealand alone the enlightened teaching of the great founder of the Plunket Society has done much to bring health and happiness to untold thousands of homes and to strengthen the fibre of the race. In the words of Sir Truby King’s daughter. Mass Mary King, that teaching has ‘‘made the world a better place for little children.” Who is there, giving thought, who would not. wish to contribute in some measure to a memorial to the greatest benefactor of humanity New Zealand has yet produced .'

The memorial fund appeal is made to the people for whom Sir Trilby King laboured with untiring devotion. If it is to be answered worthily, here and in other parts of the Dominion, there must be ready giving throughout Hie community, however small in amount individual donations may be. There is still time for the people of Alasterton and its district to improve upon the poor achievement that was rightly deplored by the Mayor and by the president of the Masterton branch of the Plunket Society (Airs J. Caselberg) at the annual meeting pf that urbanisation on. Wednesday.