The Daily Alaska empire., 1935-03-14
Uneasy Lies Japan. z
New York Herald rripune.)

" tktNeW 4OrK HerdIu ITlDll0e.
 fortnight ago MT saito the Japanese Ambas- sador to the United States undertook to explain in Chicago why the of action which Japan has followed in Manchuria since September, 1881 was essential to the defense of her strategic base and of her economic stake on the mainland against Chinese bad faith on the one hand, and Russian aggression Cor the threat of it, the other
 It subsequently, pointed out in these columns that, granting the validity of every argument that MT. Saito brought forward, his plea still failed to give such an explanation of the way in which Japan took what she considered defensive action would restore American confidence in her good faith. His plea failed to explain why Japan took and persisted in action in violation Of the nine-power treaty with out first attempting convince the other signatories to that contract that its terms ieopardzed Japans vital interests and that Japan had moral right to denounce it. Moved by this comment to do some more explaining Mr--Gecrge Bronson Req, who speaks for the unrecognized State of Manchukuo in Washington, did So in a letter which appeared recently in the Herald Tribune.
 After reading and. digesting MT. Rea's letter it is possible to concede the validity of most Of his arguments, as it in the of MT. Saitos plea, without being single step the one con- cession which both these apologists seek This is a concession that real imaginary to Japan's vital interests made acute by real or framed" Chinese outrage, warranted not only the defensive" Japanese military operations which fol- lowed the Mukden incident but the deliberate and
  deliberate alienation of these territories from China and Japans formal treaty relations with Man chukuo.
 It is probably true. MT. Req says, that the Liberal Japanese government which in office in September, 1881 preparing at that time to show the treaty powers that the terms of the nine power treaty were interpreted by the Chinese as an international license to bedevil Japan out of her Manchurian investments and treaty rights. It is equally true, however. that the Japanese military were entirely out of sympathy with the Govern ment's liberalism They bitterly opposed to the consultation of international opinion their prob lem. They availed themselves of the railroad incl dent-whether of Chinese inception their own to go beyond all defensive needs in way that captured public opinion They took control of policy out of the hands of government and made it pos sible for General Minami to startle the Japanese Foreign Office well the Occidental world into incredulous examations by predicting Manchukuos alienation.
 Conceed all the Chinese provocaton and bad faith that Japans apologsts charge, concede the deliberate Chinese concoction of incident, if need be; concede Japans treaty right to take defensive action without consultation with the powers signatory to the nne-power treaty and concede that that treaty rooted in false assumptions-and Japan still has t0 explain her recognition of and treaty relations with Manchukuo. The Occident has not yet been told why Japan anticipated League action the Lytton report by violating her promise mot to enter into any treaty agreement, arrangement CT understanding with any power or powers. which would infringe impair" her pledge "to respect the territorial and administrative integrity of China"
 Jap-n's apologists still leave the world there fore, with the presumption that the military in Manchur!a te.ng indifferent to their nations treaty obligations and confident of overwhelming popular support, followed a course which forced the re- sponsible Japanese Government to choose between denouncing their policy and the less desperate alienation Of incurring and living down somehow , international charge of bad faith Japan chose this less desperate alternative; and the eloquent pleas Of MT. Saito and of MT. Req prove nothing except that she enjoys little repose in the bed which she so ostentatiousy made for herself. This in itself is not bad sign.