The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-11-09
Ambassador Shideha9u
Defends Japan Position

war left the United States proper abso-
luteIy unaSSailable. No power IN the
world is in a position to attack your
country without bringing grave distress
upon itself. For more than 100 years
Won have lived without a hostile foreign
soldier within your borders, and To-Day
no nation in Europe would dare attack
you even if any had the will to do so.
Yet Europe is only 5000 miles away
while Japan is twice as far.
Doesn't Want Philippines.
But the baiters of Japan are not CON
tent with that argument. They declare
that Janan could take the Philippine Is
lands In the same category they could
incIudp Hongkong and the extensive Brit
ish nosseSsionS in East Asia, and also
French Indo-China and other European
possessions in the Pacific. But, as
natter of fact, these various eastern pos
sessions of western nations could be CON
sidered by Japan Il far greater menace to
her than she is to them. Japan, how
ever. is confident that no western nation
has any designs upon her independence.
Can't Control China.
REGARDING Japan's taking control of
China and organizing that country mil
lions into a yellow peril, he says: NO
one realized more clearly than the Japan
csc themselves that such project Is
we Japanese should come in conflict with
the several European nations that hold
established positions in China. We should
then be required to dominate. control
and ultimately organize the Chinese IhlS
would be an achievement such as no couu-
| try has vet been or will ever be able TO
| accomplish Human nature isn't that
wav: a subject race is generally a greater
| burden than help in time of war; and
japan is not looking for war. Japan
needs peace. is willing to pay a price tor
Ipeace. and believes that that peace Will
/ be not only morally but prohtably PAID
Asks Equal Opportunity.
but from China we japanese believe
| we have a right to ask the privileges OF
! equal opportunity and the open door. W e
are not so richly endowed as America
| with wealth. territory, and raw mate
rails. Here you have everything. You
are Self-suStaining. But we are like the
! British Isles. We have Il population. ap-
! pro2imateIy. of GO0090O0. with territory
| the size of one of your medlum-SlZed
states Our supplies of raw materials
must come from abroad. and the markets
| for the goods we manufacture must
| likewise be foreign countries. Without
! ~rpplieS from over the seas and without
markets at the ends of our steamship
| lines. we cannot live. The nelghporIng
1 undevelopcd ASiatic mainland has an
| abundance OF the necessary IttN LldttI ais
and also affords an important market.
! We desire the rights and privileges Of
| trading on this mainland on equal terms
with any nation. near or remote a; and IN
| turn we are willing that any other ma
ton shall enjoy, in fair competition. equal
rights with ourselves.
Shantung Question.
| In this connection let me state some
/ facts with regard to Shantung-Whch
Japan has been charged with taking from
| China. When it became part of Japan =
obligation in the late war to drive Ger
many out of that area. she assumed only
part of the rights which that country
| held i'm Shantung. The leased territory
| Of Kiaochow. which the Japanese cap
tured from the German garrison. con
| tanned not 10000. 900 people (which Is the
estimated population of the province) but
! 30 900 or $4,000. most of whom had gath
cred there to trade with the Germans and
continued to reside there and trade with
| the Japanese. The leased territory of
| Kiaochow covers about 200 square miles,
| less than half of l per cent of the area of
| the province.
| Japan promised China that she would
| withdraw her forces and return the kiao-
| chow territory to her; and she also
offered to share with China. on an abSO-
| lutely fair and equal footing in substance
| a. we'll as in name. that section OF the
I
hands in consequence of the war. China
4 has not agreed to accept this arrange
Iment. contending that alone by her action
! in entering the war the German rights
naturally reverted to her. But China $
/ entry into the war was three years after
/ the German fortress had been reduced
| by a japanese army.
Japanese Soldiers Gone.
The japanese soldiers that took Using
tao have long evacuated the province
| with the exception of 1000 men, who re-
main to guard the railway line and the
4 port This is force less in size than
Il Oue-half of that which the great powers,
| including the United States. maintain in
the province of Chill to protect the rail
way line from Picking to the coast and to
II guard the legations at the capital. More
over. the several concessions obtained by
the Germans for future railway construc
ton in Shantung are - be transferred tC
the international cOnsortium composed OF
American. British and French, japanese
and Belgian financial groups, supported
by their governments.
Thus it will be seen that the charge
of 'aggressiOns' on the part of Japan in
Shantung has been presented in Il con
spicuousy unfair light.
The Hopes of Japan.
1T is the hope of Japan that the
Washington conference VIII give her the
II opportunity to dispel whatever distrust
and suspicion may exist in America
against her. She hopes to demonstrate
cOnclusively the necessities of her posi-
ton and the justice of, her policies, in or
der that false charges against her may
find no honest response in the future
Where she may be wrong she will strive
to mend her ways Consideration instead
of condemnation, cooperation instead oil
confict-could proftably as well as
righteously be the slogans of the nations
hereafter.
There is one point of warning I should
like to make in conclusion. Naval limi