Turning to Japan's relations with Soviet Russia, Mr. Hirota said that the Japanese Government was "deeply concerned over the state of things en the Manchoukuo-Soviet frontier which gives rise to frequent friction.
"What is needed, first of all" the Foreign Minister declared, "is to take practical steps to prevent these border disputes. For that purpose we [should lose no time in setting up those two commissions for the de-mar cation of the border line and for the settlement of disputes. which for some years past have been under consideration, and also to devise other eans of removing tension all along the frontier."
He invited the Soviet Government "to ce-operate freely and unreservedly" with Japan in this task "for the ike of peace in East Asia, unifying public opinion and arousing nationalist consciousness and that untoward inci evidently result ing therefrom, are taking place in various quarters in China, At the time of the Chengtu incident ist the Japanese Government took occasion to ask the Chinese to rectify their attitude towards Japan. whi constituted a fundamental obstacle to a friendly intercourse between Japan and China, and to invite the Nanking Government to demonstrate its sincerity regarding the concrete questions bound up with the amelioration of relations bette the two countries, Unfortunately, as you know, jhe negotiations came to an impasse, owing to Chinese recalcitrant hen. Sino-Japanese relations. iv speak have been far from factory. I need not repeat here that the Japanese policy in East Asia is directed solely realiza stability the bation and ce-oper een Japan, Manchoukuo and by stopping the Communist in vasion of the Orient.
"e Japanese Government, therefore, earnestly hopes that China will, s soon as possible, come to have a full understanding and appreciation our basic policy, To-day in China, however not only is such an understanding or ap preciation absent, but anti-Japanese sentiments, as mentioned before, have been still more intensified, and of the Lukouchiao incident of y 7 was only a legi consequence.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.