June 10
News from the North happily suggests an improvement in the situation. The tension is relaxed. Once again the Japanese Government has been handicapped by the vigorous opinions expressed by its Jown military representatives in apparent assumption of diplomatic confides to the world at large his dissatisfaction with the conduct of the chief figure in a friendly government, it will be agreed that Giplomacy is embarrassed. Mr. Ariyoshi, on arrival here to-day, will, no' doubt, be able to smooth down ruffled feelings." The pity is that his first task as Ambassador should be that of dissipating misunderstandings which might have been avoided, had -reasonable attention been paid to the niceties of international courtesy. From the Japanese side much has been heard of Chinese delinquencies: anti-Japanese agitation, furtive assistance to bandit and other ele ments operating against Manchou-/kuo. More has been heard of the Grastic measures conceived to put Sino-Japanese relations in the North on a satisfactory basis. At Jone moment it is bluntly declared that the Chinese authorities have been presented with a series of unnamed demands. At another the nature of the demands is Indicated on what appears to be unimpeachable authority. Then comes the denial that arytning like fan ultimatum has been issued or that the so-called demands have been more than bland suggestions, All this is hardly impressive. On the other hand, study of the Chinese newspapers shows signs considerable restraint among those who normally would be expected to present the Chinese side of the Jcontroversy. It does not require a very alert memory to recall the tone und character of Chinese commentary in a situation in which it could be alleged that a strong anti-Japanese sentiment was being encouraged by high authority. Indeed it would seem that the Chinese Government had taken most effective steps to prevent its press from giving the slightest ground for Japanese offence, The Japanese Government has every right to pursue whatever policy may seem appropriate in developing its rapprochement with China, When the Chiese newspapers are ready to view the departure of the Chairman of the Hopei Government as the natural outcome of the elevation of Tientsin to the status of a special municipality under the direct supervision of the Executive Yuan and the consequent removal of the provincial headquarters to the historic seat of the Manchu Viceroys of Chili at Paoting, it is a perverse obduracy which seeks to assign credit for the changes to Japanese dissatisfaction with General Vu Hsueh-chung and, in further elaboration of the delicate processes of the mind of the Kwantung Army's High Com~ mand, to extend that disapproval to the policy of General Chiang, Karehek and the personality of fermer "Young Marshal," whom surely Manchuria may be allowed to forget after this lapse of time Churlishness must not be prompted to make too much of what, after all, may be peculiarities in a mode of expression and explained in the historic cockney phrase: "it 12 not 89 much what he says as the nasty way he says it." Still, this is world in which recognized forms of procedure are usually adopted to govern international relationships, and in the interests of the general comfort of all who ha [their lives to live in the Far it could be hoped that more sym= pathetic attention were given to that convention by otherwise amiable Japanese soldiers in their iploinatic moods.
Whether the Kwantung Army Jeonsiders that the situation may [be improved by an occasional indulgence inthe pleasant habit of "thinking aloud" which may also be designated as the practice of giving all and sundry a piece of its mind, it is not possible immediately to determine. Now it fis asserted that, after all the alarums and excursions of the last fortnight, in the: course of which the Chinese authorities appear to have been specially eager to tidy up Hopei, in conformity with JJapanese predilections, the settlement will take a quiet turn. It may. be indecent to inquire whether the Kwantung Army has achieved what it desired ard is content for the time being to rest upon its laurels, or whether it has met with unexpected firmness from Tokyo. Yet, whatever Tokyo may decide to do in the immediate removal of the present tension, the Kwantung Army's ideas have an uncanny knack of cropping up again sooner or later in the gradual development of Sino-Japanese relaticnships in the North. It is generally agreed that the extension of the demilitarized zone has close family resemblance to the process of creating a buffer territory between Manchoukuo and Soviet Russia, Even the happenings of the present month have created a situation which effextively emphasizes Japanese control of Hope} and the whole of the 2ail-way communication from Tanga to Kalgan. That may accrue from the Kwantung Army's thinking aloud. The political aphorisms neg-figently decorating the thoughts may be purely incidental. Chinese diplomats and soldiers have some Reason to prefer the simpler and more direct procedure of stating Japenese requirements in plain language—and without decora~ tlons—for they then can more faithfully address themselves to the inevitable, though not too congenial, task of seeing that those requirements are fulfilled, Peace of mind for the inquietly fluttering bosoms of the Kwantung Gzreral Staff may thus be secured for the time being.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.