Minister, deceives himself if he believes for one moment that his latest statement concerning Japanese policy with regard to China carries any real conviction. His declaration consists of words rendered entirely meaningless by the facts which are all too well known, facts which eloquently deny the statements he makes. His claim that it is for the benefit of the Chinese people themselves and the whole of East Asia to lift China from its present semicolonial status to the position of a modern state, might be correct if the premises were accepted. They cannot be. China has not occupied a semi-colonial status; it had about it all the attributes of sovereignty and was making very substantial improvement until Japan embarked upon what Mr. Arita appears to believe is am uplifting mission. But the whole statement is unconvincing when read in the light of the facts which pertain at the moment. Whatever may be the declared intention of the Japanese Go! ernment, the facts show that they or their agents are bent upon a policy of definite exploitation of China, its people and its natural resources. The establishment of various monopolistic concerns, which has been reported from time to time in these columns, is clear proof of the contention that there is indeed no highly inspired intention of elevating China to something greater than she was achieving herself, but of maintaining her in a degree of political and economic subjection without which this expensive military venture con never be made to return a profit. Why, if such is not the intention, are these monopolies being established? To claim that it is being done foi" the good of China is absurd in the extreme, for neither the facts nor some statements of responsible. Japanese officials support it. Is it to be wondered at, that declarations such as.these are welcomed with just that type of derision which they so eminently deserve? Not all the pleasant phrasing in the world will help to change convictions which are based upon what is actually happening, and if ever there were one, this-is a case in which soft words butter no parsnips.
Mr. Arita is no more convincing when ion of the economic he says, economic bloc is meant the exclusion of all interests other than those of the parties directly concerned, the employment of the term is wholly improper in the present case." If Mr. Arita is to be taken as implying that exclusion of other interests. is not even now taking place, he is either completely misinformed as to what is happening in China or he is handling the truth somewhat indelicately. The history of what has been happening in Tientsin, Chefoo, and Tsingtao for months past, the wilful disregard of obligations to reopen the. Yangtze, the all-round discrimination which is being exercised against most of the third party neutrals provide ample proof that Mr. Arita's bland explanations are wholly incongruous with the facts. What is happening daily in Tsingtao alone would be sufficient to nullify his contentions, but where the practice of discrimination,
necessity," is as Widespread as it is in the generally under We glib excuse of "military portion of China occupied by the Japanese the conclusion is inevitable that either Mr. Arita does not mean what he says, or doe: not say what he.means. He is reported as saying, "It is far from Japan's thought to aim at excluding European and American economic activities from cast Asia" He does, however, add somewhat later that within certain limits the "economic activities of countries which lie outside the limi of east Asia would have to be regulated, and the average neutral will be forgiven if he believes that all that Japan has ben doing clearly shows that his activities" are if possible to be regulated cut of existence. That is most certainly the conclusion to be drawn from present day trends, and it is entirely for the Japanese to prove that that conclusion is incorrect. That would necessitate a complete reversal of the policies which are now being applied, and it has been made quite plain by acts that that is the last thing which the Japanese Government contemplates.
If it is believed that Mr. Arita's gentle blandishments are likely to stem the rising it is impossible to credit Japan with bona fides in the face of what she is' actually doing in China. Mr. Arita has signally failed to explain away any of the very real grievances which. foreign neutrals have against his government and its policies. He cannot hope for sucéess"in this direction until there has been a very decided change in Japanese behaviour in China, and a resort to the honourable practice of meeting obligations instead of deliberately ignoring so very patent a responsibility.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.