Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-16

and associated newspapers of the North
American Newspaper Alliance
TOXIC, June 15.-The most impor
tant need In Japans foreign policy no'
Is the establishment and maintenance
of cordial relations with China, accord
ing to Baron Kijuro Shidehara, forme
Ambassador TO the United States, an,
recently Japsns foreign minister.
To that end Baron Shidehara urge
the establishment of . Far Easter
Locarno in which political friendship be
tween China and Japan will serve a
the base for economic cooperation be
tween the countries.
Friendly relations with China" thu
baron said to me, are of the utmos
Importance to us. as matter OF vita
necessity. without them we arr
doomed. 1t is my proudest boast thai
during my stay in Office I did every.
thing in my power TO further such
friendship.
During the disorders of 1927. sno
particularly after the Marking affair
which, as is now we'll known, was OF
Communist origin, demands were made
in some quarters that sharp ultima
tum be sent by the powers to the
Nationalist government. I was asked
II I would give my consent. and stand
ready to permit the participation OF
Japanese troops If punitive expedition
were necessary.
Opposed Use Of japanese Troops.
st opposed such a move. I felt that
Il would throw China into the hands OF
the Bolshevists. And 1 firmly believe
/ was right. For those guilty OF the
Marking outrage have been punished
apology has been made to the powers,
and all without intervention.
Japan has no political aims 1r
China. We should like to see China
really united, and will help in what
ever way we can to achieve that. CO.
operation between the two countries
will work for the benefit of both.
China has vast resources, for the
most part undeveloped She is not now
and is not likely to be in the near
future, in position to develop them
herself yet their development would
prove great boon to the country, would
increase the national wealth and provide
the government with increased revenues
Japan, on the other hand. lacks the
supply, but can give China manufac-
tured goods her population needs
Economically we are natural allies.
Once China gets over the fear that
Japan has political aims in her terri
tory the way will be paved for economic
cooperation"
Not Sure of Governments Policy.
Asked his impression of the policy
pursued toward China by the present
government which replaced that in
which he served as foreign minister
Baron Shidehara replied that he was
still in doubt what the governments
policy actually was.
When the dispatch of troops to
Shantung took place." he said, Il put
question to the government request
ing to know whether that act was a
demonstration Of strong policy which
we had been led to believe, the govern
ment was preparing to adopt.
But the government spokesman
denied this. He said the troops had
been sent only to protect lives and prop
erty of Japanese. What the govern
ment's policy, if policy at all. has been
1t Is difficult to say"
In connection with the Importance
70 Japan of developing friendly rela-
tons with China, Baron Shidehara
pointed out that Japans trade with
her neighbor was capable of very great
increase once the anti-Japanese move
ment ceased and China settled down
to peaceful development.
AT the present." he explained "our
trade with China is only from 40 to
80 per cent of our total foreign trade
II is not as important to us. therefore
as our trade with the United States,
which takes q much greater proportion
OF our exports. Yet the China trade
Is capable of great extension, and were
China TO buy more of Our goods our
present industrial depression would
come to an end"
Baron Shidehara denied that there
was any such thing as a 'Manchurian
problem" That term, he said is a
m1snomer. There was no desire on
the part of japan to prevent Man
churia from joining the Nationalist
government or remaining under It,
Japan'S interests in Manchuria are
purely economic and based on treaty
rights.
Insist on Treaty Rights.
"AU Japan desires and insists upon, -
he added, lis that these treaty rights
be maintained, whether they involve
the leaSehold of Port Arthur and
Dairen, the control OF the South Man
churia Railroad or anything else guar
anteed by compact between Japan and
China.
with respect to this all classes of
the population In japan are in abso-
lutte agreement. But this. in my opin-
ion and In the opinion Of most other
japanese, does not in any way involve
anything hurtful TO legitimate Chinese
interests"
With respect to Japan's relations with
the United States, Baron Shidehara
said these were perfectly cordial.
There was a time, shortly after the
var" he remarked, when as re-
suit of Chinese propaganda in the
scaremongers, the situation between
the countries might have been termed
critical. Then came the Washington
conference.
Il know that Secretary Hughes
himself was not certain at the begin
ming that it would have so favorable
an outcome But it did. The tension
was broken. Later, at the time of
the earthquake, the great generosity,
kindness and sympathy displayed by
the people OF the United States made
a profound impression upon u.s. And
IL was because of this impression that
the difficulties over the immigra ton
problem were not as serious as they
might have been.
We hope that some day the action
then taken will be modified in the
interests of our common friendship.
For us IL is not a question of the
volume OF japanese who are to be
permitted TO emigrate to the United
States. It Is only question of being
singled out and receiving An inVidious
distinction. That is the only difference
which divides Ills now When it Is
wiped out our nations, already cordial,
will approach an even finer stage in
their relations. as fine as in the days
Of Townsend Harris"
krnnxriRht 1929, hv the North Ameriaan