July The telegram from our special corres pondent in Tokyo that reliable British quar= tors state that Sir Robert Craigie, the British Ambassador to Japan, has been given authority to exercise his own discretion extending over a wide range in his talks with Mr. Arita, Japanese Foreign Minister, on the subject of Hongkong and the request for the closing of the Burma Road, will, it is hoped, prove to be correct. No official announcement has been made to this effect, though in the circumstances it seems to be about the best method of procedure if quick results are to} bbe obtained, though it may readily be anticipated that no matter what agreement may be reached between Sir Robert and Mr.
Arita, it will be subject to the approval of the British Government. Sir Robert has greatly distinguished himself in his negotiations with Japan that this new development is the wisest course to adopt in the light of all the circumstances. The terms of the British reply to Japan's original request have not yet been officially made known either by Great Britain or Japan, though a Japanese communique professes to report what Sit Robert told Mr. Arita. Tt was to the effect that the export of military supplies from Hongkong for Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek had been prohibited, indicating some attempt to meet the Japanese demands. With regard the Burma Road, it is stated that the British view is that it' presents a more complex problem, the difficulty lying in the legal tracing of military supplies "owing to the inclusion of Burmese and Indian products. It is stated also to have been pointed out that, as a direct result of the rains from' June to September, not one-tenth of normal quantities are being transported. With this reply the Japanese Foreign Minister express-fed deep dissatisfaction, urging a further Feconsideration of the matter, whereupon it stated Sir Robert promised to refer the matter to London. 1 is obvious that with the Indo-China-Japanese agreement relating {0 the control of transit of goods through the French Colony, there can be no import of war materials from Hongkong.
It will be noticed that the Japanese request with regard to the Burma Road, is not for the prohibition of the passage of war material over it, but for its total closing, a somewhat tensively different matter. Tu fact what Japan is demanding is that Great Britain should assist in ing a blockade of the correspondent points out in today' there is a parallel case in the Far East i which Japan herself is closely. concerned. Chinese' war materials are being exported from Japanese-controlled areas through the Kwangtung Peninsula, through Manchoukuo and thence via the trans-Siberian railway to Germany. It Is not suggested for one mo: ment that Japan as a neutral is not permitted to do sucha thing, and what it is more than Tittle dificult to "realize Is that, apparently from the Japanese point of view, what is per= fectly permissible for Japan to do, is com pletely wrong for Great Britain, a neutral in the Japanese struggle with China, It that in these last few years law and logic have long gone by the board, and the bare facts of the situation have to be faced. It is an unfortunate fact that certain extremists are endeavouring to force Japan to take ing which may prove most unfortunate in the future. While the more moderate ele ments are anxious that the outcome of the European war should be awaited before Japan irrevocably commits herself to a policy which may be attended with considerable difficulty, the extremists are urging that Japan should make a final throw, gambling upon an Axis victory. It is not a wise policy, because it is a gamble, Should it turn out successful Japan would be little better oft than she is now; should it be otherwise her situation would be infinitely worse, It is consequently to be hoped that as a result of negotiations between Sir Robert Craigie and Mr. Arita some modus vivendi may be arrived at acceptable to both countries. should not be impossible, though it obviously cannot be at the cost of the wholesale ssu render of the British position in the Far Enst. That unfortunately is what the extremists are after, and it Is only by the prevalence of more moderate counsels that an equitable settlement can be effected. eatly to be deplored that the Japanese went, influenced as it is, should have sought to make so much out of what after all is @ comparatively small matter, in view of the much laryer issues at stake in which Japan herself is also involved. The closing of the Burma Road would not prevent supplies reaching the Chinese National Government. IL would still be able to rely on sian "aid, and the history of the past Was shown that it is by no means ineonsidevable. It is only by the defection of Soviet Russia that China can be completely deprived of outside assistance, and it fy no part of the Soviet's policy to permit the Chinese National Government to fall before the Japanese and the present struggle come to an end, Tu addition to this the increasing ability of the Chinese to manufacture small arms, anmunttion and trench mortars for themselves has fo be taken into consideration. The conclusion is, therefore, inescapable that the Japanese are attaching too much importance to the closing of the Burma Road as a means of bringing the Sino-Japanese hostilities 10 a swift conclusion, and that a matter, which the British Government apparently rightly decides is one which can properly be settled in Tokyo, should have been magnified in the manner it has Is regrettable. The question is tone which is not incapable of settlement along lines which would do justice to both coun= tries, though it is clear that the agitation which is being fostered in Japan must make the task of Sir Robert and Mr. Arita more than ordinarily difficult. One of the factors which ed to the Tientsin negotiations being long drawn out was the atmosphere in which they had to be started, It is to be regretted that precisely the same tactics are being followed now. That can only lead to difficulties, and militate against a calm, judi cial consideration of the issues involved, but it is believed that Sie Robert and Mr. Arita will be able to surmount such obstacles fand reach a solution of the problem which should do credit to all concerned,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.