Evening star., 1933-05-23
Viscount Ishii.


friendly relations and whose rise to the
stature of 8 world power has been
watched in this country with abiding
interest and genuine pride. Viscount
Ishu has come to the United States,
like other distinguished foreign states
men recently here, to confer with
President Roosevelt on questions about
to engage attention at the London
Economic Conference. But events in
the Far East, especially those now in
progress, clothe Viscount Ishii's pres
ence with peculiar timeliness and un-
common importance. While he was
still on the Pacific and nearing San
Francisco last week the President of
the United States appealed to the heads
Of f1fty-four nations to dedicate them
selves anew to the cause Of disarma-
ment, peace and especially non-aggres-
sion as condition precedent to inter-
national economic restoration. From
Toxic came word that Emperor Hirohito
has directed his government to inform
President Roosevelt that Japan accepts
his high-minded proposals Gin princi-
pie" but with important reservations. 4"
Though the nature of these reserva-
tions is not indicated, 1t must be sup
posed that they refer to the large-scale
military operations In which japanese
armies are now engaged in North China.
Seasoned statesman that he Is, it IS
certain that Viscount Ishii would have
wished for himself in Washington this
week different atmosphere" than the
one which the Japanese war lords have
created, namely, situation which finds
Japanese troops within days march
each Of the ancient Chinese capital of
Peiping and the important international
trading city Of Tientsin, and In occupa-
ton Of territory south Of the Great Wall
in China proper" equal In area to the
State Of New Jersey. A situation, In
other words, which, no matter how
strong its faith in the purity Of Japan's
purposes, compels the world to fear that
China's ancient fears Of gradual abb
sorption by her powerful and irresistible
neighbor are in process of ruthless real
ization. While early this week giant
japanese war planes hovered menac-
ingly over Peiping and Tientsin, word
was Forthcoming from various Japanese
quarters that the military advance
might be carried as far south as the
Yellow River and that it might not even
be arrested until the Province of Shan
tung, which Japan reluctantly restored
to China at the Washington Conference
In 1922, is reoccupied and once again
brought under Nippon's sovereignty.
Ali and sundry Of these Japanese
military operations and threats since
Japan's troops q few weeks ago pene-
trated the Great Wall have been justi-
fed on the ground that Chinese forces
were offering a resistance which had
to be crushed before measures deemed
necessary for Japan's protective and
self-defensive purposes could be halted.
Presumably it is these same 'neces-
stiles" which form the basis Of the
important reservations" Japan will
make in accepting President Roosevelt's s
non-aggression and disarmament pro-
posals Far Eastern dispatches long
have credited Japan with the eventual
intention Of setting up on the Manchuo-
kuo model a new Northern Chinese
state south OF the Great Wall and
installing Mr.. Pu-Yi, one-time Boy
Emperor Of China and now the puppet
regent of Manchukuo, in the ancient
Forbidden City once occupied by his
Manchu ancestors in Peiping, as en-
peror of a combined Manchurian-
North China state under Tokio's
suzerainty. 1t would not be strange,
in light Of events of the past year, to
find Japan arguing that such state
has become a fundamental necessity
for the safeguarding of widened
Japanese interests" in China.
How even so astute a diplomat as
Viscount Ishii Is going to reconcile all
these developments, accomplished or
imminent, with President Roosevelt's
world peace program-especially his
plans for universal non-aggression pacts
is not at this time easily imaginable.
Our distinguished Oriental visitor prob
ably has been on our soil long enough
already-the better part Of week-to
gather that American public opinion
stands aghast at Japan's aggressive
policy in China and looks upon it as
perhaps the outstanding barrier in the
world at this hour to the materializa-
ton of mankind's hope for an era in
which right and justice rather than
fire and the sword shall prevail in the
relations among nations.
Until Japan has realigned herself
with those nations which eschew mill
tary aggression as an instrument of ma
tional policy, Viscount Ishii must know
that the whole-hearted friendship anc
confidence which the American people
yearn to repose In Japan cannot be anc
will not be extended to her to the de.
gree they are anxious to offer them.
European opposition to disarmament
brings up inquiry as to whether nations