Aug. 26, Count—Uchida's powerful apologia in the Diet yesterday puts the considered views of the Japanese Government with Jueidity and the intimate knowledge Which the Count himself has of affairs in "Manchuria, There can be no quarrel with the Foreign Minister on the score that he has made his pronounce ment at a time when examination of it cannot be attempted with ¢omplete satisfaction in view of the imminent publication of th Lytton Report. The Japanese people, through their representatives, have a right to know the line of policy governing events which must be casting a heavy shadow on their finances and family life. The world outside, however, will do well to regard the speech: mainly in that light and to wait for the Report of the Lytton Commission before getting its arguments fully into focus. Of the strength of the ease which Count Uchida could make there as been no doubt. Strong as it is, the weaknesses, which have been apparent ever ince September 18 unfolded the first stage of the drama, have not been covered even by the eloquence, realism and thusiasm of the man who, more than most, has been responsible for the development of Manchuria, Japan: bas to meet the objection that, having embarked ona certain well-defined line of Polley in concert with other Powers—her, co-signatories to Various interriatfonal pacts—she riddenly became seized with ait and, without notice, abandoned that policy for the use of the armed" argument. Moreover Count Uchida presents fa picture of a considered a lication of that form of arg ment. from the first moment of the events of September 18, He fails to see that he cannot take that line without impugning the good faith of Japanese diplomacy in Tokyo, Geneva and Shanghai and exposing its subservience to military dictatorship. He convinced—and the conviction may be sincere and, even, justified—that, under the Covenant or the Kellogg Pact, Japan could not get redress for her wrongs at the hands of China, The dim culty, which he has to face. 3s that Japan did not attempt to feat the power of those instraments. He also seems to forget that Japan welcomed and was a consenting party to China's memership of the League and, indeed, just before the clash at Mukden, election to the Council of the League.
Granting Japan's desire bring to Manchuria the prosperity the rich and undeveloped resources of that country deserve, it is not possible to endorse the view that the intervention of last year and the subsequent creation of a quasi-independent State of Manchukuo represented the 'expression of, the wishes: of the ' people of Manchuria. China cannot, but feel rebuked when the Count bases his contentions on the separatist tendencies discernible within her borders. It" is indeed lamentable that, even now, with Japan vigorously cham. Pioning Manchuria's right. to) orderly government, the Government of China cannot effectively rebut the charge of disunity. But, in conceding that point to Japan's Foreign Minister it cannot be admitted that the course of events in Manchukuo suggest that sturdiness and health on which he dilates, "This does rot imply a belief that Manchukuo cannot survive infancy or a con-innation of the present administration at Changchun merely. because it' is mainly Japanese. Refusal to follow Count Uchida here, at this june-Hture, is based on appreciation of the ' curious vicissitudes of Japanese attempts to secure Nocal cooperation. The forma-ition of the first Peace and Order [Committees has been developed into the collection at Changchun Jof amtable Chinese nonentities, whose lack of spirit the glamour lof the Mancha lineage of the excellent Mr. Pu Yi has hardly concealed.' Of such stuff ad-Iministrators capable of relieving the Japanese of the unwanted burden of annexation, are un-fikely to be made. "This was recognised at one time by Count Uchida himself in repudiating last November the notion of [setting up a Manchurian throne, in favour of the present Regent. Of Japanese ability to. bring peace to Manchukuo in the military sense there can be little doubt. It is pertinent to note, however, that the original views lof the General Staff have been greatly modified in respect of the time required to effect pacification, This is germane to {the Count's argument that Manlchukuo stands already for the self-expression of the people of Manchuria, for it is not enough to pretend that the disorder now prevailing is entirely the product lof influences outside Manchuria.
Final assessment of Count Uchida's values must be deferred the Lytton Report appears. [His speech appears at one point to forecast proposals contemplat-jed by the Commission, There he may be taking too much for granted. It is not incumbent on {the Commission to. make any recommendations. The report will fulfil the League's requirements it sets out the Commission's findings on the facts available in the course of the long inquiry. Count Uchida, therefore, exposes himself to the charge of fighting. shadows of his own imagining. But then, powerful as the speech is, it is a speech of the shadows. Its general tone is that of a man who turns his back ostentatiously on the efforts, which Japan has magnificently shared, to place the relations of nations of the world on a better' basis. Tt brings the sword once more into full view, not as the final arbiter, when all methods of persuasion have failed, but as an instrument {in substitution for those methods fat the outset. It depreciates the validity of international agreements by making them entirely subordinate to the material welfare of one party without regard to the sanctity of the pledged word, No amount of sophistry, such as the fantastic statement that he independence, of Manchokuo has been achieved © through the spontaneous will of Manchurians....the consequence of a fissiparous movement in will conceal this plain implication jot Count Uchida's speech. It weakens sadly what would otherwise be a timely warning to China regarding—the—consequences of continued encouragement of _anti-Japanese activities qnd agitation. For, in essence, the Count's re: Jiection of' "sentimental positions and abstract theories, fin favour of what he is pleased to call the "solid basis of ithe realities of the situation," is Ino answer to the criticisms ineurred by Japanese action during the last year. It is a definite—but it is to be hoped not final—declaration that Japan finds he self unequal to the task of c0- operating with the world's search for practical solutions lof international problems along the lines of reasoned cussion, generous compromise and patient negotiation, keeping jin the forefront those eternal principles of justice and honour! without which, mankind would find existence unendurable.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.