Evening star., 1934-11-23
SA|T0 DENIES Split
OVER NAVAL ARMS
Embassy Says Viscount Did
Not Mean MiIitariSts
Applied Pressure.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
An article quoting Viscount Admiral
Makato Saito as saying there was
division of opinion in Japan on naval
matters. was the center Of a lively
semi-official dispute today even as
the Japanese cabinet allowed record
breaking funds for the navy ana
army.
The japanese Embassy issued a
statement last night declaring the
veteran japanese navy officer and for
mer premier gave an interview to Her
bert Hilscher last August, but never
saw the draft of the article as 1t
appeared in the Christian Science
Monitor.
AT the same time" the embassy
said, "Viscount Saito emphatlcally
states that he never said to Mr.
Hilscher that there was a division OF
opinion in Japan on naval armament
or that navy or army men were
scheming to apply pressure upon the
prime minister in the interest OF
larger armament"
Letter of Approval Shown.
In Boston. the Monitor made public
a letter bearing the Japanese states
mans name and approving the article
II have read the manuscript OF this
story which I have told to Mr.. H. II
Hilscher, and I approved it." the text
given out by the Monitor said. 1T Is
with nv permission that my name is
used as the author. (SlgneO MaKatc
Saito. Ichinomiya, ChfSaken, Japan
August 81. 1884"
The Embassy statement insisted the
Japanese delegation at London STANDS
for smaller navies for all nations anc
that Japan was prepared to accept q
3-3-3 or even 2-2-2 naval ratio with
England and the United States.
The article drawing the embasSy's
fire presumably set forth the admlrais
views on naval affairs after 60 years
spent in active service with the Japa'
nese fleet as minister of the navy
in three cabinets and as premier.
Extremists Hit.
In it he assailed the big navy pro-
ponents in Japan as well as other ma
tions. asserting that japanese eXtrem-
lists were bringing pressure to bear on
the cabinet to force construction OF
great aggressive navy, and pleading
for an agreement at London on smaller
navies for the peace of the world"
The article brought praise from
Senators Nye of North Dakota and
Borah of Idaho. The State Depart
ment. however declined any comment.
The embassy statement gave the
following explanation of the genesis
Of the article:
The article is an account OF the
interview given Mr.. Herbert Hilscher
by Viscount Saito some time last Au-
gust. The viscount did not expect the
interview to appear in the form In
which it has appeared. He never saw
the draft of the article written by Mr..
Hilscher.
The burden of the interview was,
in Viscount Saitos own mind, the hope
he expressed for the success of the
then coming naval conversations at
London, and his denunciation of the
useless naval rivalry which might fol-
low the failure of the preliminary
parley.
His cardinal idea was and is that
the far-seeing statesmen of the lead
ing nations must not be misled by mis-
information and propaganda to the
disaster of humanity and civilization.
"At the same time, Viscount Saito
emphatically states that he never said
to Mr.. Hilscher that there was a divi-
sion of opinion in Japan on naval
armament, or that navy or army men
were scheming to apply pressure upon
the prime minister in the interest Of
larger armament"