July 6.
Ir is possible that Viscount Uchida's speech may have imposed upon his audience. But beyond Japanese shores his words, at least in all that concerns this country, will be received by all friends of Japan with dismay, almost with incredulity. Were it not impossible to suppose that Reuter was hoaxing us, we might be almost tempted to think that such a speech by a Minister so highly placed had never been delivered. For there is hardly one statement in it which is not in glaring contradiction with facts familiar to tthe most imperfect memory. Thus, for example, we are told that ''it has ever been the endeavour of this Government in matters connected with loans to China, rigidly to follow a policy in concert with the other Powers interested."" Yet on October 2, 1918, a Tokio telegram (such can certainly not be suspected of exaggerating matters) stated that up to that date the year had witnessed twenty-three loans from Japan to China, some of which, it was admitted, contravened the agreement with the Quadruple Group. How does Viscount Uchida's contention square with this? Again "'when the question recently arose of making an advance of five million pounds to the Chinese Government, Japan again put forth her utmost efforts to bring about perfect accord between Japan, the United States, Great Britain and France.'' Simultaneously she permitted her leading merchants to lend Peking Y.9,000,000 to tide over China New Year thereby effectively destroying any results from this ''perfect accord'' which Japan was labouring so hard to secure. Does Viscount Uchida really believe that people's memories are so short that they can be deceived by this wretched misrepresentation? Or can he have forgotten that on December 4, 1918, the Japanese Government issued an official statement to the effect that, as loans to China seemed but too likely to promote internal strife, it had been decided that no more such should be allowed: thereby tacitly admitting that its conduct and policy during at least the previous twelve months had been diametrically opposite to the first principles of its partners and allies in the Consortium?
We have. dealt so recently with Japan's attitude in respect
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.