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Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16158, 12 March 1918, Page 6

If the speeches of their statesmen count for anything, Japan and America aro unlikely to find themselves seriously disagreeing on large questions of policy. Mr Lansing has just been asserting, for the benefit of tho people of France, his conviction that there is no ground for supposing that Japan has any but the best motives in .her policy during this war. Ho was convinced of this by tho Ishii mission; Viscount Ishii was just as emphatic concerning tho good relations between the two countries when he spoko at Tokio on his roturn from America towards tho end of last year. Ho brought back, he said, "to all the people of Japan from all the peoplo of America, a message charged with the earnest spirit of goodwill and sincere desire for good understanding and friendship":

"Let there l>e 110 doubt among you as to the sincerity of this message. There is no false note in it, and there was no discordant tone in the voices welooming us. Wo were well aware that "our personalities played no part, and that the treatment, we roceived from the President and the people of the United States was intended for our Emperor and our people. Now, -on returning from our voyage of discovery tve bring to our gracious Sovereign and the peoole of our nation the assurance dhat'the iruo gold of America lies at the very heart of its people. We are very earnest in our desire to convince the whole people of this country of the valuo and real meaning of the reception of this Mission at the hands of the people of the United States."

Mr Lansing, in the statement already mentioned, said that any doubts or suspicions or misunderstandings that had attached to Japan's action in- Russian Asia originated in, or were fostered by, German intrigues. Count Ishii also finds the enemy at that address. "In a speech before a magnificent assemblage at a dinner in the city of NcSv York," he told his Tokio audience, "I said that for many years the common, foe of Japan and America had been the worst enemy of China. German inI fluence lias been responsible for £he most unfortunate misunderstandings and widespread misinformation, thereby impairing the relations between the two countries. If the Chinese Government and people should now be misied by an ill-advised interpretation of this new instrument it will be a matter for sinorare tregrot to me, as I am sure Ufa j will bo to the splendid statesman who I heads the diplomatic affairs of the United States;'' The agreement with America could not, of course, make provision for every contingency, and perhaps the course of events in Russia was not. foroseen. But if the spirit of t*c two Governments is as represented by Mr Lansing and Viscount Ishii, there ought not to be any troublesome complications in Russian Asia.

Tlio challenge by the Lord Mayor of Sydney having been accepted by the Lord Mayor of Melbourne, tho claim of each to the title of premier city of the Commonwealth is to bo decided by tho amount that each subscribes to the now Commonwealth -war loan. This compotition in patriotism will put tho eternal rivalry between the neighbouring State capitals to really good use. Money will talk to some purpose, even though tho reward is but a nominal one. Sydney has an advantage in the n.atter of population, but presumably Melbourne will receive a proportionate handicap ir. the contest. The loan is for no fixed amount, so that each city can go to its limit. The five previous -nar loans have brought in an average of a little mere than twenty millions each; but tho Government wants approximately foity millions to cover its expenditure.

There is no rivalry between any two cities in Xoiv Zealand to-day sucli as exists between Sydney and Melbo";rnc. Time was when Wellington and Auckland lay awc.ke at night thinking of hard things to say of one another, and spent their days in trying to carry their

feeling into cffect. The relationship between the two is nowadays more amicable. though it could not yet be described a:; one of passionate affection. The situation now seems to be ono in which '-he three southern cities are n iore or less closely leagued, against Auckland, who has earned some unpopularity by her assumption, expressed in c.civliiing she says, or does, that Auckland is the only part of the Don:inion that counts for anything, and that the rest of New Zealand—so far j's there can be said to be any New Zealand below the kauri bolt—exists merely to supply her with population and products." The amused resentment with which this attitude is regarded by the other cities, each of whom has wellfixed conviction? as to her own value, should form a very good basis for a contest such as has I>een inaugurate*! between Sydney and Melbourne.