Evening star., 1933-07-09
Japan Now Making Endeavor1
To Regain Friendship of US.
Roosevelt Naval Policy
Seen as Factor in
New Attitude.
BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.

ent endeavoring to regain Americas
friendship, and, according to reports
from London, Viscount Ishii, the chief
Japanese delegate at the London Eco
nomic Conference, intends to return to
his country via Washington to discuss
with President Roosevelt the possibility
/ of an Acknowledgements rapproche-
ment
There have been signs in London
during the first three weeks of the Eco
nomic Conference of change in the
attitude of the Japanese toward the
United States. In most questions which
come up before the various committees
the Japanese delegates supported al
most invariably the American point of
view.
There have been trial balloons from
Toxic about the possibility Of some sort
of an arbitration treaty between this
country and Japan, and also from
Toxic came reports about some special
trade agreements.
1t appears that the military in Japan
are beginning to realize the danger OF
keeping up a provocative attitude to-
ward the United States and have re-
Gently toned down considerably that
Il don't care what happens" attitude
of the japanese press.
No More U. S. Notes.
This change Of tone of the Japanese
is due. according to observers, to several
! factors The first is that since the
coming into Office of the present ad-
ministration there have been no more
notes sent to Japan whenever the Jap
anese Army took another slice OF China.
/ Instead, the President has shown q
clear determination to build up the
Navy to treaty strength and in spite OF
the budgetary deficit he did not per-
NIT any substantial reductions in the
personnel of the Army. The silence OF
the American Government worries the
Japanese foreign Office. and the build
ing up of the Navy worries the military
rulers of Japan. Toxic liked much b2t-
ter an American administration which
sent many notes and did nothing for
the national defense.
japanese observers in America have
been busy lately gathering information
about the reforestation army, asking all
kinds of questions about its organlza-
tion discipline. the kind Of physical
training it is getting and the types OF
officers and non-commissioned officers
who have been ordered to that corps.
The Japanese are militaristic nation
and they have jumped to the conclu-
SlOll UIldI UllC WI 20 AAoy
eventually form the nucleus OF new
army This is at least the way re-
foreStation would be handled in Japan.
New Spirit in America.
But the second reason why the jap
anese seem to be inclined to change the
attitude they had heretofore toward the
United States, is that from all their re-
ports about conditions in the United
L. hat
is new spirit in this country today.
When the Japanese general staff be-
lieved that Japan was in a position to
challenge America whenever it wanted,
the japanese had the distinct impress
sion that America was not only going
through an economic. but also moral
crisis. The Americans are soft" This
was the accepted opinion OF the United
States in high quarters in Japan. 1t
was admitted that in case of conflict
with this country the japanese would
not have much OF chance, in the long
run, but the general staff asserted that
if the Japanese could obtain some
startling initial successes, the American
people would crumble down and accept
any conditions the japanese may have
wanted to impose. 1t is true that the
Japanese who know America well held
another point of view. but for while
the opinion of the general staff that
the Americans had become soft"
seemed to prevail.
Within the last few months. since
the Inauguration of President RooSe-
velt this opinion has begun to change.
The Japanese have begun to realize that
whatever the economic results of the
new deal may be, the personality of
the leader of the American Nation has
made itself felt and that an entirely
new frame of mind prevails through
out the country.
Ishii Left in Dark.
The Japanese have been surprised,
then their surprise was changed into
worry. They accepted at first with a
certain amount of skepticism the re-
ports that tn administration intends to
build up the Navy to treaty strength.
but when it was made plain to them
that this was fact Toxic decided u
change its tune and is now seeking
rapprochement toward the United
States.
On what basis such rapprochement
can be made is for the time being un-
known.
During his visit here in May Wis
count Ishi tried hard to draw from
the President some expression of
President, it is said has carefully par
ried the questions of the skillful Japa-
nese diplomat and left him as much in
the dark as to the future intentions of
the United States as he had been when
he arrived in Washington
On the other hand. while Mr.. Roose-
velt has made no definite statement in
regard to Americas policy in the Far
East, 1t is well known that he indorses
the policy of the previous administra-
tlon OF non-recOgnition of territories
gained by force and also favorS, with
out restriction, the open-door policy.
Today, more than ever, it is vital ques-
tIon for this country to have equal
trading opportunities with other nations
in China regardless of what separate
treaty that country may conclude with
other countries. The cpen-door policy
is to the fore, more than at any other
time.
Manchukuo Doesn't Exist.
There is no doubt that if the jap
aneSe can put forward some proposition
which would fully guarantee the equal
trading rights of the American people
in the Far East, including the zones at
present under Japanese military control,
some agreement may be reached
1t is also without doubt that the ad-
ministration will not subscribe to the
present status of Manchuria. Manchu-
kuo does not exist as far as the Govern
ment of this country Is concerned and
it is highly improbable that the jap
anese will be able to convince the Pres
ident of the existence of that new state
Whether the Japanese government
can offer some compromise which could
satisfy both their country and America
remains to be seen But in anV case
there is no doubt that Japan is seeking
today an understanding with the United
States and to achieve this it is most
unlikely that there will be any further
provocations as has been the case
,,1riDO the last q months