Evening star., 1937-09-05
Text of Hirota's Address
japanese Foreign Minister Says Nation Wants
Peace-Chdrges China With 1892
Treaty Violation.
3v the Associated Press

By the Associated Press.
TOXIC. Sunday, September s.
Foreign Minister Koki Hirota.
speaking in the Diet today. said:
Ever since the beginning of the
present China affair, the jap
anese government, in pursuance Of
the policy Of local settlement and
inauguration, exerted every
effort to effect speedy solution.
The Marking government. whose
prompt reconsideration was in
vited. failed to manifest a grain Of
sincerity but concentrated armies
in North China to challenge Japan.
While in Yantze Valley and else
where in South and Central China
they embarked on an anti-Japa-
nese campaign Of the most vicious
kind. which not only prevented our
nationals in that region from en-
Raging in peaceful pursuits but
also jeopardized their very eX-
lStence.
In these circumstances the Jap
anese government, still desiring to
avoid disturbance of peace as far
as possible, ordered the evacuation
of all japanese residents in Han
Kow and other points along the
Yantze River Shortly after that,
on August 9, at Shanghai, Sub
Lieut.. Oyama and Seaman Saito
OF Japanese landing party were
murdered by the Chinese Peace
Preservation Corps.
Chinese Launched
Attack on japanese.
Even then Japan. adherlng to
peaceful course. sought to settle
the affair through the withdraw
of the Peace Preservation Corps
and removal of all military works
that had been erected in violation
ef the 1882 truce agreement China
refused to comply with our de-
mands under one pretext or anoth-
pr and proceeded instead to in
crease her troops and to multiply
military works in the prohibited
zone and finally launched an un-
warranted attack upon the jap
anese. Thereupon, as matter OF
duty, our government dispatched
ANAL naval reinforcements to
Shanghai as an emergency measure
to insure protection of our nation
ais in that city.
In view of these disquieting de-
velopments in Shanghai, Ambas-
sadors at Marking of five powers.
Great Britain, America, France,
Germany and Italy, sent 4 joint
request on August II to both Japan
and China that the two countries
do all in their power to carry out
effectively a plan to exclude Shang-
hal from the scope Of any possible
hostilities so as to safeguard lives
and property of foreigners therein.
Our government replied through
Ambassador Kawagoe to the enect
that, while Japan was most solicit
ously concerned over the safety of
lives and property of all foreigners
as we'll as Japanese in Shanghai,
China should as the FIRST prereq-
uisite withdraw outside striking
distance her regular troops and
peace preservation. corps that were
advancing on the Settlement and
menacing Japanese and to remove
military works in the vicinity of
the International Settlement and
that Japan be prepared to restore
her forces to their original posi-
tions provided China agreed to take
the above steps
Proposal Submitted
BY Three Powers.
structed to request the powers con-
cerned to exert their influence
toward inducing China to execute
those urgent and appropriate meas
ures which, however. were fatly
rejected by China. On August II
the Consul Generals at Shanghai Of
Great Britain, America and France
submitted a certain concrete plan
proposing that Japan and China
enter into direct negotiations for
the purpose Of ayerting the impend-
ing crisis.
The text of the proposal was re-
ceived in Toxic at midnight on
August l3. But in the afternoon
OF that very day the Chinese
armies that have been pouring into
the Shanghai area took the offen-
sive and on August their war
planes dropped bombs not only
on the headquarters Of our land
ing party, our warship and our
Consulate General but also all over
the International Settlement. No
longer could we do anything but
abandon all hopes of peaceful set
tlement and fight for the protec-
ton OF our 10000 nationals in
Shanghai. regret to say that the
earnest efforts of the powers con-
cerned were thus nullified by
Chinese outrages.
Shanghai having been converted
into a theater Of hostilities. grave
concern was naturally shown by
powers who have vast amounts OF