Evening star., 1937-03-14

lief contribution, following the great
earthquake of September /, 1923,
touched the hearts of the whole jap
anese people
The Hayashi government stepped
into Office to discover one Of the most
complicated, most irritating and po-
tentially dangerous situations in Jap
anese diplomacy that has been known
for many years. 1t has now given
clear indications that it realizes this
fact and will set about attempting to
rectify and repair Japan's damaged
international relationships.
But the Hayashi government will
have to overcome the exaggerated
ambitions Of the military extremists
In. order to, enforce more peaceful
economic and diplomatic policy, and
certainly it will have to bring to this
task the best brains in the empire.
AS Foreign Minister Sato has an
nounced, very genuine effort is to
be made to build up sincere friend
ship and cooperation, particularly in
the economic field, with China.
Nanking Hits Communism.
Meanwhile, the Kuomintang (Which
means the Marking governmenO has
come out unequivocally in condemna-
ton of the Communist movement in
China. an armed movement now
largely confined to the two northwest
ern provinces Of Shensi and Kansu.
This Chinese Communist movement,
usually described in Japan as the Red
menace" has caused very real fear
to the Toxic government in the past.
If it succeeded, or if the Marking gov
ernment decided to throw in its lot
with the Chinese Communists, it was
felt certain by Toxic that an alliance
with Soviet Russia, aimed At the jap
anese empire, would inevitably follow.
The lifting Of the clouds that have
darkened Sino-Japanese relations is
not the only plank OF Premier Hay
ashi's new foreign policy that is now
taking shape. The japanese ambassa-
dor to Moscow has been instructed to
approach that government with spe-
cific proposals by which it is hoped
that the tension between Japan and
Russia car be relaxed and the harm
done by the conclusion of the ideo-
logical pact with Berlin against Com
munism repaired to as great an ex-
tent as possible. If Japan could re-
lieve itself Of the fear of war with the
Soviet Union in the near future, a
very great burden indeed would roll
from the shoulders Of the empire.
The announcement by London OF a
vast naval building program, spread
over five years and involving expendi-
ture Of seven and a half billion dollars,
stunned both the government and the
people OF Japan. Toxic knows full we'll
that the British rearmament plan is
not designed for making war on the
Japanese Empire, but it also knows
that it puts Great Britain in a far
stronger position than 1t has been
since the close OF the World War, and
that hereafter London's voice will be
needed, whether speaking Of affairs
in Europe or In the Far East.
Anxlo-U. S. Power Feared.
Japan expects that Britain will be
able to station capital ships in Asiatic
waters, and Japan knows that the ties
between London and Washington are
the closest, that in the event Of war
fare the two nations would be stand
Ing side by side. The Japanese press
has carefully refrained from COM
menting editorially on the new Brit
ish naval building program, but Pre-
mier Hayashi has cabled instructions
to the Japanese Ambassador in Lon
don along lines similar to those sent
to Japan's envoy in Moscow.
There has been a bitter anti-British
campaign under way in Japan for
some time, springing largely from
trade rivalry in various quarters, par
ticularly in China and British India.
-okio is now determined to curb this
campaign, and at the same time plans
to set out in constructive way to
win back the friendship Of the British
government and the British people.
Likewise, the newly appointed Japa-
nese Minister to The Hague has been
instructed to call at Java and the
Dutch East Indies, remaining there
for several months, on his way to his
post in Europe. .lever before has a
japanese Minister to Holland visited
these rich Asiatic possessions OF the
Dutch In Pacific waters. The object
Of this visit will be to build up friend
ship, seek to better economic relations
and, supposedly, to allay Dutch fears
of the "southward expansion" pro-