Evening star., 1940-02-07
Japan Weighs
Of
9.Power Pact
Also Prepares for
Difficulties With
United Stutes
BY the Associated Press.

OUulSO SlutSS
BY the Associated Press.
TOXIC, Feb. 7.-Foreign Minister
Hachiro Arita told Parliament to-
day that the government is weigh
ing the advantages and disadvan-
tages of abrogation" of the Nine
Power Treaty of 1922 concerning
China.
Some of its provisions obviously
are incongruous. Arita said of the
pact which pledged Japan, the
United States and six other pow
ers to respect the integrity of China
and the policy of the "open door"
in trade with that country.
Difficulties With U. S. Seen.
Other government spokesmen said
Japan is preparing for anticipated
difficulties" in economic relations
with the United States now that
their 28-year-old trade treaty has
been ended by the United States
denunciation. One official speaker
referred to preparations for the
worst"
Premier Admiral Mitsumasa
Yonai, responding to a members
suggestion that he Issue a state
ment OF warning to the United
States" in connection with the two
powers frictions in China, replied:
Il do not want to regard the
American attitude with i'll feeling,
but I will reconsider if the United
States continues its oppression and
interference with Japan"
Treaty Abrogation Held Insult.
Yoshimichi Kuboi, member of the
Seiyukai, major political party, de-
clared the United States abrogation
OF the trade treaty should be re-
garded as an insult"
Arita replied that the American
action was irreproachable legally.
but the manner caused dissatisfac-
ton to the Japanese.
Japan sincerely desires to con-
clude a new trade treaty and will
redouble her Efforts Arita con-
tlnued. However, judging from the
present situation it will be difficult =
Another member of the lower
house, Tadao Matsumoto of the
Minseito party, asked:
Has the government any inten-
ton of advising the American Gov
ernment to withdraw its nationals
from China?"
1T is a grave question and I am
not in position to answer that
here Arita replied. a-
Not Strengthening Pact.
Arita declared that "at present the
government is not considering
strengthening the -Comintern
pact" which linked Toxic with Ber-
lin and Rome against Communism.
Spain, Hungary and Manchukuo
also were signatories of the anti
Comintern agreement, which went
into eclipse after Russian and Ger
many staged a rapprochement last
August.
Parliament was told there are
no negotiations under way for a
modus vivendi-working agreement
to govern trade relations with the
United States in the absence of
treaty and Judging by the pres
ent situation, it will be difficult to
conclude trade agreement"
Commerce Minister Ginjiro Full
wara said the Diet would be in
formed at private session con-
corning plans for even closer CO.
operation with Manchukuo and
China in an effort to Offset the ef-
fects OF the United States treaty
abrogation.
Though the nine-power treaty
technically still is in force, the Japa-
nese invasion of China in fact has
closed much of the country to the
trade of other nations. This has
ben a constant source of friction
with the United States and Britain.
Preparing for Worst.
The Government is devising meth
ods of industrial expansion and
other rearrangements in order to
prepare for difficulties with the
United States, especially in impor-
tation of needed supplies, Kakichi
Takeuchi, president of the cabinet
planning board, replied to a ques-
toner.
Kuboi said Japan's announced de-
cision to open the lower Yangtze
River in China to international
trade-not yet carried into effect
had failed to improve American
sentiment toward Japan, and added:
1T is a serious matter if Japan
relies on the United States for the
majority of her imports"
In recent years about one-third
of Japan's imports have been from
the United States. She has relied
heavily on American sources for oil,
scrap iron and other military neces-
sites.
Japan will demand formally the
return of all the German seamen
seized by the British from a Jap
anese liner, foreign Office spokes-
man said today.
He indicated a note to this ef-
feet would be handed British Am
bassador Sir Robert Leslie Craigie
within few days.
Columbus Crewmen