The move on the pari of Great Britain, the United States and France is, therefore, in the opinion of Japanese naval circles, a "serious blunder, affronting the Japanese nation."
Moreover, it is pointed out that the action of the three Powers in demanding information "immediately stiffened the attitude of the Japanese Navy at the expense of the moderate view prevailing previously."
"If Great Britain, the United States and France sincerely desired disarmament," it is pointed out, "they should have taken a conciliatory attitude in approaching Japan, instead of stimu-leting Japanese public opinion which w regards the true motives of the three Powers to be the desire to expand their own navies under the pretext of Japan's refusal."
Naval circles here are of the opinion that the London Naval Treaty of 1936," which collapsed with the provisions for qualitative limitation, was shaken badly within less than one year of its ratification,—Japan's formula for the est: ent of a common upper limit on the principle of non-menace and non-aggression was, they contend, more practical and fair.
The spokesman of the Admimity dismissed with laughter a forcim
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.