"Regarding the various questions pending between "Japan and the Soviet Union in connection. with the fisheries in Northern waters, negotiations have been assiduously conducted at Moscow since the end of last year, but so far have failed to bear fruit, "From the broad stand-point of the friendly relations between the two countries, it is most desirable that we arrive' at a fair and suitable settlement, and A am glad to say the difference between the views of the two Gov ernments is gradually narrowing. At is the intention of this Government to continue efforts. towards the carrying out of our #0 safeguard our legitimate rights ang. interests secured by. treaty.
"I have now given the outline of the latest, developments in the £oreign affairs of Japan. While the interests of this country in Manchuria ave certainly of paramount importance from the political point of view, those in China proper are mainly economic. Consequently, if the Nanking Government and. the Nationalist Party abandon their anti-Japanese policy and. direct their energies towards the achieving of internal unity, peace and economic prosperity, there is yom to doubt, the" possibility of restoring complete friendship. and concord between the, two countries add, on this occasion, the atmosphere Europe and America, which has been sympathetic towards Japan since the outbreak of the Manchurian incident and xpecally since the Shanghai affair. That atmosphere was created simply through misrepresentations of the facts, emanating from Chinese sources' or through misunderstandings of various kinds. lam confident that in time the sentiment of the Western Powers. will turn isdually in favour of Japan."
er
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.