The Washington times., 1935-12-21
JAPAN'S ENVOY
CALLS SCARE
ABSURD
Nippon Invasion Of
u. S. UnthinkabIe,
Says Ambassador
BY KINGSBURY SMITH
Copyright 1885. by King Features
Syndicate. Incl


An appeal to the American peo-
pie to rest assured that Japan has
no intention of attempting to in
wade American territory and to
believe the Nippon Empire is sin
cere in it's desire for friendly and
peaceful relations with this coun-
try was made today by japanese
Ambassador Hirosi Saito.
The japanese Enjoys appeal
was made in reply to the declara-
tion of Senator Key Pittman,
chairman of the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee, that Japan's
imperialistic program called for
invasion of the American Pacific
Coast as we'll as Mexico and the
western coast of South America.
Absurd Says Envoy
Deploring Senator Pittman's
statement, made in a speech at
Las Vegas, New, as tending to mar
the friendly relations between the
two countries, Ambassador Saito
said:
"It is absurd to think we have
any intention of attacking either
the Philippines or any other
American territory. Il implOre
the American people to believe
my sincerity when l say it is the
desire Of Japan to maintain the
friendlieSt of relations with the
United States anu its people.
"The very suggestion of war
between us is absurd. We are
each others best customers in
the Pacific. Japan buys more
American products than all the
rest Of the Far East combined,
including your own Asiatic pos
sessions, the Philippine Islands.
what good, for either our
selves or for humanity at large,
could either of us possibly
accomplish by going to war with
the other? Good cannot be
accomplished by committing a
crime, and a war between US
would be a crime. There is not
the slightest reason for it
mo SERIOUS PROBLEM"
"There is no serious problem
at issue between our countries.
The one that is most discussed
in the public press is that Of
naval ratios. That Is not a prob
lem between the United States
and Japan alone, but one
among all the naval powers
signatOry to the Washington
and London naval treaties.
Furthermore, our inSiStence
upon naval parity is mOtivated
by the desire and necessity Of
establishing the navieS Of the
world on a system the principle
of which is nonmenace and
nonaggresSiOn.
Ambassador Saito professed him.
self at loss to understand what
prompted Senator Pittman to is
sue such a strong warning Of the
danger of war between this coun-
try and Japan, but, in this con-
nection, he recalled an address
which he made over the radio
some time ago.
"GoOd Hearts, Sound Heads"
The Tokyo envoy asserted:
'Tt is the way of men seeking
to gain one thing or another
to predict war. Some seek only
to gain nOtOriety for themselves:
some seek to promote some self.
ish interest of their own. That
is why they denounce other ma.
tionS and arouse public opinion
against them.
But those who strive to
make trouble between Japan
and the United States will not
succeed. The good hearts
and the sound heads Of our
two peoples will prevent it."
The ambassador said he had
no intention of making any rep
reservations to the State De-
partment over Senator Pittman'S
statement, principally because he
did not wish to permit it to de-
velop into any issue.