Publication of that fact created something in the nature of a sensation, and Mr. Matsuoka was driven to claim that he had made no such offer and that the terms of his letter had been misunderstood." Mr. R. A. Butler, Under-Secretary for Foreign " Affairs nounced in the House of Commons on Monday that the offer was in fact made, and that the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs had been informed by the British Prime Minister that there can be no question of a compromise or parley with Germany.
This offer on the part of Japan, taken with the latest outpourings of the two European dictators, now appears in a most interesting light. Germany denies that it knew anything about it On that subject Italy has made no statement. Yet the intimate connection between the Japanese Cabinet and Nazi re~ presentatives, who have penetrated the Japanese political system, shuts out any belief that they were ignorant of what was happening, While the British Government was studying Mr, Matsuoka's offer, Hitler seized upon the opportunity to make one of his usual speeches apparently endeavouring to make British Mesh creep by threats of what he would do with submarines in the spring. It was poor psychology if he thought for one moment that it would produce any such effect tas that which he so earnestly desires, namely 'a negotiated peace, for in that he has completely failed. It has not been necessary for Mr. Churchill to make a speech in answer to the dictator's tirades, but to leave it to an Under-Secretary of State to announce what he would undoubtedly have said had he chosen to speak, He did, however, have a meeting with Mr. 'Mamoru Shigemitsu, Japanese Ambassador to Great Britain, in which he is reported to have made it' quite clear to the latter that Britain's war aims were unchanged since Mr. Chamberlain enunciated Britain's determina tion to "free Europe from the recurring menace of German aggression." That effect was as complete an answer to My. Matsuoka's communication as the reply forwarded by. the Foreign Office, It is an answer which every Briton, who has witnessed the tragedy of two major wars within a quarter of a century, must welcome with grave appreciation, and complete agreement. There can be no peace until it is made sure that the future of Europe and the world at large shall no longer be menaced by a turbulent race, brought up to glorify war for iis own sake, and for the purpose of territorial aggrandisement, It follows that any effort at mediation, whether by Japan, "or any other nation, is in the present circum~ stances entirely out of the question, though should at some future time Japan be called upon to convey to Britain Germany's plea for peace, doubtless any representations it may have to make will be carefully considered:
That is the position, It has been repeated time and time again that Britain did not lightly take up the sword, and she will not Jay it down until her purposes have been achieved. Germany's now order {s rejected by every European country with the exception of Italy misguided by Mussolini. Tt has been forced on millions upon millions of inoffensive peoples who are at present writhing under a yoke more savage than barbarians of the past have conceived, and they await the time when Britain will' make it possible for them to rise and throw it off. No mission could possibly be more sacred to Great Britain than that of releasing these people from the bonds of slavery. No duty could be more imperative. Britons are not to be deterred by stich quaint procedure as is to be found in the doings of the various parties fo the Tripartite Alliance during the lost week. The manoeuvre has completely failed. It has brought from Britain nothing but the firm rejection which it invited, and all that remains to be done is to get'on with this
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.