The speech which Mr. Mamoru Shigemitsu, Japanese Ambassador to the Court of St.
James, delivered at the annual dinner given by the Japan Society in London has been described by Reuter as a witty one, and the appellation has been duly earned. Emphasizing his belief in open diplomacy, the Ambassador went on to express his regret that so many publicists writing upon Japanese affairs could neither read nor speak Japanese. The inference, of course, that without adequate knowledge of a country's language it was impossible to secure full understanding of its political acts, obviously suggests that after all it is not what a country does, but what its writers say for it that really matters. Taking that argument to its logical conclusion third party neutrals in China have no real reason to complain of the manner in which their interests are being continually damaged, in view of the repeated assurances of statesmen and pub-lieists that Japan intended doing no such thing. If it is to be a fact that, in the latest confection known as conceptional diplomacy, words are to be considered as speaking louder than actions, then it is perfectly comprehensible that there should be so much misunderstanding about Japan's policy vis-a-vis of China. But when once the seeming contradiction from old time is understood and appreciated many apparent contrarieties disappear. Mr. Shigemitsu, when ther he intended to or not has indicated the manner in which the much-spoken-of "insincerity" of those who disagree with Japanese behaviour in the Far East can be changed into acquiescent sincerity. It is all so simple. If the publicist were taught to read and speak Japanese they would at once understand the Japanese point of view that all that is happening in China arises from a very real desire on the part of Japan to cultivate the friendliest relations with the Chinese people. The fact that large areas of their territory have been overrun and that millions of Chinese have suffered untold misery as a result of the demonstration of affection which commenced in July, 1937, is as nothing compared with the real understanding of Japan's intentions which would come from learning the language.
Further considering the matter it is apparent that much harm was done to the proper understanding of international politics by another humourist, the late Lewis Carroll It is just possible that the world at large will agree with the Chinese retort to such protestations of affection with the two lines No doubt it was wise to dissemble your love, But why did you kick me downstairs?
Properly understood the Japanese reply seems to be "The very fact that we are kicking you downstairs is the completest proof of our great love for you." In other words the action which Japan has taken hurts her more than it can possibly hurt the Chinese, or words to that effect. Mr. Shigemitsu sought to convince the Japan Society that his country, far from being the brutal force some of its critics would make it out to be, was in fact the Pilgrim of Love, the dispenser of joy and happiness, the welder of bonds of undying affection, seek: ing friendship more than anything with China, and a readjustment of their mutual relations by removing mistrust and suspicion, and replacing them with mutual understanding. Thus will be ushered in an era of enduring ce-operation and conciliation. This post-prandial picture of the purity of Japanese intentions drawn for the delectation of diners in London, probably sounded soothing to the ears of satiated stomachs, but the aching bellies of millions of homeless Chinese is an answer to it all. In any event it reads strangely in China to those who have seen what has been happening these last nineteen months. Foreigners living in thi country and depending upon the maintenance of their trade with it, will have read the report of the speech with: no little cynical amusement. For example applied to its fullest extent, foreign publicists thoroughly well grounded in the Japanese language would completely realize that the Yangtze far from being closed to neutral shipping, is in fact completely open, or something of the. sort. Or perhaps Mr. Shigemitsu's argument does not apply in all its connotati he acquirement of such knowledge as the Ambassador suggests for example would prove to critics that the commercial trading along the Great River and the swamping of that area with Japanese products, is not being done so much to exclude third parties from that market, but really to supply the necessitous Chinese with goods which other foreigners for some reason or cther are unable to send there.
Application of the doctrine to wider fields, and particularly that of Anglo-Japanese friendship, it will be noticed that British manufacturers, like journalists, being unacquainted with the finer nuances of the Japanese language fail to understand that far from desiring to damage their interests in China, Japan is endeavouring to protect them. It must be so, for a fuller understanding of Japanese thought processes, and adoption of Japanese practices would trans-for credit entries to the other side of the ledger, and vice-versa, with the result that taking of balances only by the British method would demonstrate what fine profits are being obtained by the present enforced inactivity. And again if the third party foreigners cannot sell to the Chinese they cannot run up any bad debts. Mr. Shigemitsu's references to Anglo-Japanese friendship are in an entirely different vein, and it is quite possible to agree with the sentiment that "it is time that the two island empires of the east and west saw eye to eye in the shaping of their policy of enhancing peace." - That should not be really difficult if the Japanese could be brought to understand that the damaging of British interests in the Far East, just as much as anywhere else, is certainly not conducive of the bet-ferment which is mutually desired. The British resent what Japan is doing, just as much as Japan would do if the boot were on the other foot, and it requires no very great knowledge of each other's language to appreciate that fact. But then, perhaps after all Mr. Shigemitsu was just having his little fun.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.