At the same time, Mr. Chamberlain confessed that the spectacle of the vast expenditure upon means of destruction inspired him with a feeling of revolt against the folly of mankind The Government were always searching for a way out and for means to break through the senseless, competition in arms in which the efforts of each nation to secure advantage over others were continually cancelled out.
"The way out," he said, "can only be found by frank and free discussion by those who share our desires and by showing our readiness to make our contribution to the common cause of peace if others will do the Escalator Clause Will Be_
Invoked In Consequence Tokyo, Feb. 5.
The British Embassy late this afternoon delivered a Note to the Foreign Office in which, it is reported, the British Government requests the Japanese Government to adhere to the main clauses of the 1936 Naval Treaty. The United States Embassy is understood to have delivered a Note on the same subject.
Notes couched in language parallel with that employed in the American document have been despatched to the Japanese Government by Great Britain and France.
Action follows exchanges of information among Britain, the United States and France, and is Calculated to afford Japan a last chance to keep the size of her ships and guns in conformity with those of other Powers, or else to assume responsibility for unrestricted building in the two major naval categories.
An official of the Navy Ministry expressed complete ignorance of the terms of the British and American Notes but basing his observations on press reports, he said he saw no reason why Japan should change her fundamental naval policy, which resulted in the Japanese delegation leaving the London Naval Conference in 1936.
Japan's attitude, he remarked, was perfectly clear to the world. Any suggestion that Japan was willing to comply with the British and American request would merely be a step back towards the yoke of the retin system.
The official decision of the Japanese Government, however, the official added, must naturally await a full examination of the Notes—Reuter. same, "The Government has given, and is giving, anxious thought to this question and so far as good will and ernest desire to succeed can contribute towards success, those quality ies will not be lacking on our part."
Mr. Chamberlain also referred to the successful progress of the negotiations for the exchange of prisoners between the two sides in the civil war in Spain and to the fact that the main condition upon which the agreement to such ^n exchange was likely to be reached was that the British Government should appoint an official arbitrator.
The Government, he sai had expressed their readiness to undertake such responsibility, He regarded the circumstances 78 a great tribute to British fair-mfhdedness—Wireless and Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.