There then follows a Japanese definition of what the rights of the Powers should be, These, in the new era, are to be little different from those enjoyed' by foreign countries in Japan or Great Britain and the United States. "Japan, however, the text reads, "stands in the relation of life or death with China, in national defence and economic activities."
The thesis is then propounded, without any logical demonstration whatever, that the principle of equal opportunity, as enunciated by the Nine-Power Pact, would prevent Japan and China from entering into close economic relationship, reduce China to a semi-colonial market, and, in short, be interpreted as a treaty to preserve China for the sake of Europe and America. There is no cogency in the collateral argument that such a principle impairs the right to existence of the Empire, and, on the other hand, "oppresses the autonomous exercise of administrative rights by China in the economic field. It constitutes non-recognition of the national growth of Japan and China,"
In clause 8 is provided an amplification as to the economic activity that the Powers should pursue in China. The dictum is that foreign trade, business enterprise, investments and so on, should not be conducted according to the articles of the Nine-Power Pact, but should be restricted within the limits dictated by the autonomy and independence of China and in recognition of the special lationship between China and Japan in accordance with the new situation in East Asia, namely The economic activities of the Powers in China are required not to violate the basic demand of national defence of new China as a wing of East Asiatic defence. As new China is to bear a Share of the responsibility with Japan and Manchoukuo for defence against Communism, the basic industries and economic facilities required, for establishing her national defence foundation are not to be bound by mere treaty obligations.
The economic activities of the Powers in China are not to impair the auto-nomeus exercise of the economic administrative rights necessary to new China.
Apart from these two provisions, all Powers may be engaged in economic activities in China on equal footing with Japan, and under the principles of free competition and indiscriminatory treatment The comment is here justified that in the Japanese- coupled regions no such equal footing obtains. nor does the practice of the said free principles exist.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.