It is to be hoped that the Chinese Government's apprehensions regard~ ing the security of the Maritime Customs Revenue at Tientsin will The summarized version of Mr.
Hirota exposition of Japan's for-coign policy docs not enter specifealinto the exact significance of tis already announced three points, At the same time the head of the Japanese Foreign Office is reasonably conciliatory in. his review of Sino-Japanese relationships. He commands sympathy, for when" he urges on China the importance of ceasing, anti-Japanese actions, he 1s preaching {o the converted, but hampered by the quaint interpretation placed on the process of conversion by some of kis Government's military. presentatives In China. Yet it pos sible to discern in Mr. Hirota's speech more confident belief that his pariment's views and the labours of able diplomats will be given greater weight than has apparently Deen possible Inthe recent bask. Contemplation of te China scene prompis expression of the opinion that the cementing of Sino-Japanese relationships is in no danger of being thwarted either by the malice of other powers or by the reluctance of tke Chinese Government, The anger really lies In the persistence with which Japanese military spokes men affect la believe that consider ton and courtesy are archaic irrelevaneless and that provocative bom bast is the true marke of the forceful exponent of Japanese requirements to the world at large. Mr. Hirota is not Inclined to favour that attitude, but whether he can communicate his sao dim dence to the Kwantung Army through the War Office must still remain-@ matter of some doubt.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.