Evening star., 1933-05-24
ARMS ADD WEIGHT
TO TALKS OF |SH||.
Success at Geneva Seen
Partially Hinged on White
House Conversations.
BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.

BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.
The conversations between President
Roosevelt and Viscount Kikujiro Ishii,
the chief of the Japanese delegation to
the London Conference, are likely to be
more important than the Presidents
conversations with the other heads Of
governments who have come to Wash
ington during the last two months, be-
cause 1t Is believed the japanese now
hold the key to the Geneva Limitation
of Arms Conference.
Viscount Ishii, who arrived in WASH
ington yesterday, lunched at the White
House today and began Immediately
the exchange of views with MI
Roosevelt.
Because Of the tense situation in the
Far East and because of the Japanese
violation of the Kellogg pact and other
international treaties, the conversations
between the President and the japanese
statesman are particularly interesting.
Political Problems Weighty.
1t is emphasized in responsible quar-
ters that the talks on economic mat
quence, since there is no actual tariff
problem between Japan and the United
States; the exports and the imports of
both countries complement each other,
and the high American tariffs do not
appear to worry the japanese to a
great extent.
But the political problems are far
greater than those between the United
States and the European powers which
have sent delegates to Washington.
They are divided into two groups:
Problems Of general character, which
interest the United States, Japan and
the world at large, and problems which
interest the United States and Japan
alone.
In the former group, the question Of
reduction Of armaments and the other
topics discussed at present at Geneva
are included, while in the second
group are the questions Of the OPEN
door policy and the relations between
the United States and Japan.
II Japan were to refuse to accept in
full the Presidents proposal for an
immediate reduction Of arms, the Ge-
neva Conference may be jeopardized.
Japan Has Objections.
From q statement made by ViScount
Ishii to the press yesterday afternoon,
it appears that the Japanese govern
ment has more than one objection to
the Presidents proposal.
There are two specific points on
which the Japanese government wants
to see clearly. One Is the definition
Of an aggressor and the other is the
definition OF offensive weapons.
Both were explicit in the Presidents
address to the world powers and in
Ambassador Norman H. Davis speech
at Geneva last Monday.
But the Japanese maintain that while
these two definitions may mt Europe,
they are not likely to fit Japan. They
do not blame the President for having
ventured to define the aggressor IN the
way he has done 1t, because, say the
Japanese. Mr.. Roosevelt has had MS
attention centered on Europe, ana es-
pecially on Germany, when he made
his worldwide appeal.
The situation of Japan, according to
the japanese officials, is a special one
They are not willing to sign an agree
ment blindly, as was the case with the
Kellogg pact, and will require a good
deal of discussion before they put their
signature on q new international doeu-
ment OF the importance Of that which
Is being prepared now at Geneva.
Couldn't Reach Decision.
To define an aggressor Is difficult
problem, according to Viscount 1sh1l.
The best legal talents Of the world
gathered at Geneva some time ago with
definite instructions from the League
of Nations to find an adequate defini-
ton of an aggresSor. After weeks OF
discussions they had to give up the task
and confess that they could not reach
q decision.
The President has found definition
which appears to be acceptable to most
powers, but the japanese find 1t too
simple and not sufficiently comprenen-
siye. OF course. their main objection
is that the President defines as an ag-
gressor the nation which In violation
OF the existing treaties sends armed
forces into alien territory. II japan
accepted this definition, she VIII nave
to admit that her actions In China are
illegal and would have to withdraw her
troops which are penetrating at the
present moment deeper and deeper into
Chinese territory.
do not agree with is the definition Of
offensive weapons, which comprise
tanks, bombing planes, long-range guns
and poison gas This point, too, say the
Japanese, has been discussed at length
by the experts at Geneva and they
could not reach an agreement.
The Japanese maintain that while
generally tanks and bombing planes
may be described as offensive weapons
there are special cases when they are
used as defensive weapons. In stating
this the Japanese have naturally their
present campaign in mind.
Use Tanks and Planes.
Japan has been able to conquer very
large section of China with compare
lively few troops only by using exten-
sively their bombing planes and their
tanks, against which the Chinese have
no defense If the japanese gave up
these war instruments they would be
overrun by the large Chinese armies
and the new State of Manchukuo would
have only short life. Consequently,
say the japanese, tanks and bombing
planes, in their present case, are defen-
Sive weapons.
Middle East, and especially in Arabia
i
exercises its control over a vast expanSe
of territory inhabited by unruly Arabs
with only small military force and a
very large air and tank force.
In making these reservations the
Japanese have only one object In mind,
and that. is to induce the United States
and the nations members Of the League
of Nations to recognize Manchukuo.
Should this happen, say the, japanese.
the Toxic government might consider
giving up, within the next five years,
those weapons which are described as
offensive.
Manchukuo, stated japanese high
official in Washington, Is today in the
unhappy position of an illegitimate
child whom nobody wants to recognize.
The Japanese government has realized
the great possibilities that child has in
growing into manhood and becoming
strong and progressive. For this rea-