There is much of significance in the interview granted by Admiral Nobumasa Suetsugu, Japanese Home Minister, to the Tokyo correspondent of the "Paris Soir." It is a complete revelation of Japan's policy regarding the friendly relations existing between Great Britain, France and the United States. That these three Powers are becoming increasingly anxious over the Far Eastern. situation has been apparent for some months past. Holland also cannot be left out of the picture, and though there is no formal agree ment between these nations concerning Far Eastern matters, there is a community of interest which will naturally serve to bring' them very close together, They may never: unanimously agree upon concerted action in. this part of the world, but there Is always the possibility that, working along parallel lines, their actions' may assume a common quality, That is a.development which Tokyo earnestly wishes to avoid, and the rapidity with which the USS. Panay was dealt with, as compared with the: incidents in the Yangtze involving the British war vessels, indicates that, however the issue with the British is to be settled, Japan wished to clear away the embarrassment created by. the bombing of the Panay as a preliminary move. This has not been entirely successful, for the tone of the American reply shows that considerable stiffness remains and a tendency to watch future Japanese actions in the light of what has already been revealed. Admiral Suetsugu's remark that between Japan and France "Friction could only arise from too close a_ ce-operation between France and Great Britain," being the statement of a responsible minister, must be' taken to mean exactly what it implies, namely that Japanese policy is aimed at isolating Britain from states with whom she is in the friendliest contact and to weaken the relations of the nations whose interests in the Far East are being Imperilled by Japanese action,, That such a policy is unlikely to succeed" goes almost without saying, for the peace-loving nations of the world will not permit the principles for which they stand to be subordinated to the expediences of the more bellicose countries! of the world, On the subject of the occupation of the' island of Hainan the Admiral is apparently completely contradictory. Admitting that the present blockade of China is "utterly inefficient" and that arms and munitions continue enter China treely, he suggests th order to reinforce it, it would be necessary to occupy Hainan temporarily.. He is then reported to have added that it was of vital Interest to establish permanent naval and alr bases in the island due to the fact that Hainan nearer to the continent than Formosa. Tt might be added also that Hainan is nearer French Indo-China as well, and of that fact the French government: will not remain heedless, The naivete of the Admiral's statements: is quite refreshing, for from the immediate plea of " temporary necessity. for occupation he proceeds to show why such a process should be made permanent, and it is now perfectly clear that, should the Japanese occupy the island, it will be for always: The domination of Indo-China from Hainan will be a matter Of considerable importance to France in view of the manner in which the Japanese expansionist policy is expected to develop, and the danger to French interests arising out of stich an-event is something which Paris cannot afford to regard lightly. Therein lies the community of interest between France and Great Britain, and it, will require something more than the adroitness of kind words to bring about the cleavage between the two countries which" the Admiral so apparently would like to see. Not only that, Anglo-French interests in other. parts of the world are now so closely entwined, that an endeavour to separate them foredoomed to failure: if the two nations ever became at variance with one another the present precarious peace of the whole world would be in. imminent danger of total collapse, The protection of occidental interests in the Far East, sh clearly threatened by Japan's actions, Is rapidly becoming. a Question "for the common. attention. of the four nations concerned, and if, as a result, close understanding is reached between them, Japan will only have herself to blame. And it must be remembered that though the final solution of the problems now presented may be a long way off it is not likely to be brought about by any unilateral decision which Japan may make, 'The Admiral's warning, that if the Powers continue to provide assistance to China, Tokyo will be compelled to occupy Canton' at the risk of friction with London, is an interesting one. Conditions being as they are any, and every' nation has, the right to supply China with anything she desires. The cordial relations existing between Japan and Germany does not preclude the latter from malang deliveries of ars and munitions to China, and if Germany can do so without Japanes reproach, there is no justification for suggest ing that the other Powers are doing something which should be reprehended. "The sauce for the German goose in this ease is equally suitable and appropriate for the other nations gander. Singular also is the Admirals ret erence to the U.S.S. Panay incident in which he says: "I am confident. that President Roosevelt's usual comprehension wilt facilitate fan amicable solution, but T must sy that it would be dishonest! of us to offer many guarantees, knowing beforehand that they are not realizable." If that means anything at all, it means that in the Admiral's view Japan is not able to give definite assurances that foreign vessels, naval or civilian, will not be attacked in Chinese waters, Why such assurances cannot be given may be com-Pletely understood, "Tt isnot necessary" to dilate upon the reason at this juncture, but thie inference will be received with considerable astonishment that the mandates of the Japanese government have not been receiving and may not receive all the respect to which they are entitled, The statement that if foreign vessels navigate in the war zone incidents can occur, carries with it the suge Kestion that it is necessary for the* foreign Powers to ce-operate "with Japan by withdrawing such vessels, It is no part of their ity 0 do so, and, if they did, it would amount fo an abandonment, however tem= porary it might be, of those' interests, which the Powers are bound to protect, and which Japan has so repeatedly expressed her inten-lion "to respect, Taken all in all Admiral Suetsugu in this interview has made no great contribution towards clarifying the air, but has rather added to the cloud of mysttiens tion which obscures a great deal of Japan's actions in this part of the world,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.