et. 17, In a lecture at Tokyo on Wednesday night, Captain Hideo Hiraide, Navy spokesman, declared that American-Japanese' relations were extremely critical, but that the Japanese Navy was in an excellent condition and was getting increasingly stronger having completed preparations to meet the worst, For some time past, indeed since the opening of the latest German offensive against the Russians, while the Japanese Government has been maintaining complete silence, the ross has been indulging in the ancient game of drumming-up the war spirit amongst the Japanese masses, Just why Capt, Hiralde, whose official connection with the' Japanese Government cannot be overlooked, should decide to state that "in fact the Japanese Navy is itching for action," at such a juncture as this is not at all clear. Tt can be pointed out that such a statement, by so high an official as the Navy spokesman, cannot in any way contribute fo the maintenance of the present precarious position, and can only have the affect of increasing the existing deterioration, Capt. Hiraide declares that despite the efforts of the Japanese Government the part ing of the ways has now been reached. 'There is nothing coming out of Washington fo suggest that this view is accepted there. The United States Government is quite pre= pared {0 allow things to 40 on as they are at present, without doing anything calewated to worsen' U.S.-Japanese relations, leaving it entirely up to Tokyo to take the next step. There will, however, be no attempt by Washington to appease Japan. The th..c for that has long passed. Neither Britain nor the United States will abandon the protection of their essential rights in this part of the world, and the decision as to whether there is to be war in the Pacific or not, rests firely with Japan, as does also the respons~ Sbility, should a conflagration occur. Tt is, a lamentable fact that, despite all the ye-presentations which have been made fo the Japanese, they completely fail to. realize that any step taken further to implement the policy they have been following for some Years past must meet with resistance, and
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.