Evening star., 1934-04-20
RUSE OF JAPANESE
PERCEIVED HERE.
Policy Statement Method,
Recognized as Move to
Sound Out Powers.
BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.

Although the State Department con-
siders the Japanese alleged statement
OF policy towards China as trial bal
loon and unworthy of any official
comment, at least until 1t reaches
officially the Secretary of State, STU
dents of the Far Eastern situation
believe that this Statement of policy"
toward China is the most important
thing that has happened in the Far
East IN the last 20 years.
Officials in Washington are in
clined to think that while the Toxic
government desires, indeed, to have
complete control over the huge ter
ritory Of China, it goes at it care
fully, as it did with Manchuria.
The Japanese leaders wish to know
the exact reaction of the Western
World to their attempt to establish a
de facto protectorate over China. Be-
use of the existing treaties and
agreements, and especially because of
the tremendous financial and eco
nomic interest of the other powers
in China, they expect a stiff resist
ance to any such policy from Great
Britain, France and the United
states.
BY allowing their views to become
known semi-officially through state
ments to the press they hope to OBJ
tain an immediate reaction from
these interested powers. If they meet
with a definite and final mo" from
all the powers then, of course, the
foreign office can retrace its steps and
explain that it never intended to
make such a statement and that the
newspapers had misinterpreted the
official spokesman of the foreign Office.
Procedure Is Apparent.
II the interested powers make only
weak protests, then the Toxic gov
ernment can go ahead with its plans
and send the note to China without
worrying about the other countries,
who would merely receive a copy of
the note addressed to the Marking
government, without any further COM
ments
Students of the Far Eastern prob
lens, believe that unless there
is a determined concerted action of
all the Western powers. Japan will
establish a complete protectorate over
the Chinese territory and exploit the
indifference of the white nations as a
sign OF weakness and helplessness as
far as their interests in China are
concerned The moment has been
we'll chosen because of the increased
unsettled political conditions in Eu-
rope and the existent dissention be-
tween other European nations and the
United States.
The reported "restatement of policy"
OF the japanese government means
nothing else, it is stated, but that the
policy Of the open door. the four
power pact and the nine-power treaty
are all scraps of paper
Would Supervise Trade.
All trade between this country and
the Chinese Republic will have to re-
ceive the approval of Toxic, and all
sales OF alrplanes. cotton, wheat
or any other commodity will be
sold only if the Toxic government
considers the quantities not danger
Gus for Japan's safety. It is a well
established fact that such commodities.
like almost everything exportable,
could be used for the manufacture of
war materials.
In other words, Japan intends, if it
meets no opposition from abroad, to
establish a permanent embargo on
China and also it desires to force the
other nations interested in China's
trade to use Japan as the middle man
for their business transactions with
that country.
The State Department is, of course,
aware of these ambitions of the Jap
anese government. They have been
known here ever since Japan began
the conquest of Manchuria in Sep
tember, 1881: It is because of this
menace that the previous administra-
ton adopted the Stimson doctrine of
non-recognition of Manchukuo, doc
trine which has not been disapproved
by the present administration.
But the State Department Is not
willing to answer the Japenese gov
ernment and express an opinion un-
til, at least the Japanese gov
ernment communicates the alleged
amazing statement Of policy" Off
cially to Washington.