Evening star., 1934-12-30
JAPAN'S DEMANDS
REJECTED BY HULL
Naval Race Spectre Rises
on Abrogation of Wash.
ington Pact.
(Continued From First Page.)


consequences, the japanese Ambas-
sador performed his duty light
heartedly.
He emerged from Secretary Hull's
office, after a 15-minute talk. with a
broad smile. lighted cigarette. and
bantered with newspaper men who
surrounded him and laid down bar
rage Of questions.
Japan will leave no stone unturned
to achieve new agreement limiting
naval strength" Saito declared.
will Japan take the lead in seek
ing a new agreement" he was asked.
Japan will not assume to take the
leadership" Saito answered, but will
cooperate Fundamentally in all in
ternational efforts. Collaboration
that's the thing"
The Ambassador was accompanied
to the State Department by K Fujii,
counselor of the embassy. Photogra-
pliers held them up several minutes,
but the Ambassador had to stop for
only a matter of seconds in the diplo-
matte waiting room before the ticking
clock outside Hull's Office struck u and
he was ushered in.
Saito, after delivering his govern
ment's note. handed Hull copy of
the press statement issued by a for
eign Office spokesman in Toxic, and
one he had himself prepared.
Talked About Christmas.
But even then all was not serious,
as Saito and F'ujii, when they emerged,
smilingly volunteered that they also
had been talking about Christmas,
the terms Of the Washington naval
In his press statement, Saito said:
Although the Japanese govern
ment has given notice, according to
the terms of the Washington Naval
= treaty, of its intention to terminate
the agreement, it has done so with
the sincere hope to have a substitute
accord that will embody the pro-
posals we have made"
;. "One feature of these proposals
has been given, in my opinion, undue
. emphasis by critics" he added. That
is the claim for equality. We have
also proposed a radical reduction in
naval armament capable Of agrees
sion.
I'VE are proposing the total aboli-
ton of the big and expensive war
ships covered by the Washington
treaty, l. e., capital ships and aircraft
carriers. We are ready to 60 down
to as far as the half of our present
naval strength. But too little has been
said of this.
ON both material and moral
grounds we earnestly desire sub
stantial reduction that will free the
nations of anxiety regarding the pos
sibilities of war. We want the others
to be free Of any anxiety regarding
us, and we want to be free of any
regarding them"
New Pact Proposed.
The official statement of the Japan
ese foreign office spokesman proposed
a new pact and suggested that it
Should rest not upon a ratio principle,
but on the formula of an agreed COM
mon upper limit for the armaments to
be retained by each power"
This upper limit should be fixed as
low as possible, the spokesman said
adding that in order to render it diff
cult for one power to attack another,
but easy to defend itself, the often
sive arms should be totally abolished
or drastically reduced, and the defen-
sive arms adequately provided"
. "In the light Of these basic princi-
ples," it was added, "it is impossible
for the Japanese Government to
acquiesce in the continuation for
further term of the Washington treaty
of naval limitation, which not only
permits the retention of the offensive
arms. but admits disparity in naval
strength through the adoption of
ratio system.
Moreover, the ALLEGATION Of an in
ferior ratio, so detrimental to our ma
+, tional prestige, is bound to remain
source of permanent and profound
discomfort to our people"