JAPAN AND THE ALLIES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 259, 20 July 1918, Page 8

JAPAN AND THE ALLIES

A REMARKABLE INTERVIEW FOREIGN MINISTER REPLIES TO POINTED QUESTIONS (From Bernard Kalk, the "Daily Mail" special Correspondent in the For East.) Tokio, May 22. 1 have been fortunate to have a uvuliours' interview with Baron Gold, tins Japaheso Foreign Minister. He agreed at the outset that the frankest n/plics should be made to pointed riucslions in order thai the. doubts and sur-piciuns ciitertiiincd in cercain quarters should be dispeiled. The Minister voluntarily denied thai' lie was a pro-German us asserted by political enemies. I give the interview in question and nliswcr form:— What is the present Cp'omsi.tit: position of intervention in the Siberian i|iii'Stion? "Japan is not taking pnrt in any conferences, but I. surmise (hat there are eenferences, either in Washington or London. Japan has made uo proposal, nor have the Allies tlolinitel;; mode a proposal to .I.ipnn. Jf and when the .'.l- - has resolutely refused to meet us, you may be sum Japan w : ll lie ready am! open sympathetically to consider it. 1 cannot say whether a proposal will come." If there is a proposal what win your attitude be? "That depends. The proposal may lie such as Japan oueht to accept without further consideration, in which wiso there will be a delay in the decision, ins Allies need fear no Hat reiusni or other than willingness 'to heip tho Ailed cause. I maks this reservation: Our Navy is ■guarding the Imli.m and Pacini: Uccans and helping in the JUditcrraneuii. If wo make a venturesome auvanue in Siberia and havo to call rtway part of our navy a gap may be created jv Inch Germany might take advantage ot. •V. liuiiibsr at" people think uiat Japan is oppo-ed to Allied as dislur-t from Japanese intei-ontion, and accuse yoil oi interested, sordid motives? "1 should be sorry if any inisnnder"touding prevailed on this point. Certainly we believe that a unihed, homogeneous Army is essoir.ial to Ihe .;iicc'-s,s of tin- cxpe<iit : on. Therefore we deem it better to have it confined to cue nationality instead of to several. E.it we havo never raised serious obieotnn to Allied participation, and, as 1 hiive already said, any suggestion by (lie Allies will'be .sympathetically considered.

Question of Co-operation,

The cu-opcralioii ot die Japanese ana British at Tsmgtao worked welt: , ■"Isingi.io is dillureiib iioui what we are now discussing. Inat operation was on a much smaller scale than what we may have to race in Siberia. The comparison does not hold. There is tne consideration of uaiioual pride, if the Allied Powers desire tlint Japan shall do her best it Would be well io leave her aloiie to compose the expedition." What objects would the Japanese Army have in going to Siberia? "To quieten till) disturbances, ensuring the welfare and safety of the population, and to stem the aggressive expansion of German influence;. Japan objects to having Germany as a neighbour in the Far East."

Would the expedition affect Germany in a military sense? "Xot in tuo near future, but eventually it would detract from Germany's strength in the west." What compensation would Japan demand for intervention?

"That depends on varying circumstances; the size of the Army, the breadth of the theatre of operations, whether the action is independent or cooperative,' whether intervention is judged to be entirely necessary in Japan's defence. At the moment we are not thinking of compensation but of doing everything in our power for the Allied cause, which we have faithfully made our own."

People are suspecting your motives in Siberia, ,'ind also suspecting you in China. They charge you with fomenting disorder and spreading Bolshevism among the students. "I know some people have charged us with imbuing the Chinese students with these ideas, but I fail to understand, how it can bo maintained, that Japan stands to benefit by disorder in China. If China remains composed Japan will benefit very much. Even Germany today' is careful to check Hie spread of Bolshevism 'because she its afraid of the. infection reaching her own borders. In the same way we would view the-con-tiguity of Bolshevism with apprehension. Xo; believe me, our wish is lor a peaceful and well-ordered Chiini. Take the recently concluded military convention between Japan and China! It was arranged because it was considered necessary to have the full co-operation of the two countries in order fully to support the cause for which the whole world is fighting; and intelligent, unbiased Chin- , eee people appreciate the convention in this way."

Dq the Chinese people as a whole appreciate what you are doing for them ? "Those who don't appreciate it dislike the Japanese because of the persounl loss of political power or business. In the long run 1 am confident our motives .will stand forth ciwirly in the true light." You know, Uaron Goto, ■ missionaries have always been accused of maUiujj happy infidels miserable?

"The analogy is very imicli to the point." (Willi a qrniat smile.) Can you speak of the future of Rus-

"No prophecy is possible. Tho oRI regime disappeared; of the new regime we know very little The situation is not solidified. Who would drcre to say what political force will eventually hold power? You see, the central figures in Russian Government to-day we nut fouud in 'Who's Who.' Thcv are an unknown quantity, possibly like myself, who have only bsL ; n for such a short lime tho Japanese Foreign Minister.' 1 The baron enjoyed his witticism. Friends with' America. Tho Allies nip accused of making all manner oi mistakes in Russia? "As for that 1 went myself to Russia three times and never thought suuli a situation as tho present could occur. Therefore I realise how difficult it is to foresee tho course of events, how easy .to criticise. But, 1 nsk, is it not time criticism passed? Have wo not now- to deal with the present and prepare for the future?" I presume Great Britain was instrumental in creating cordial American and Japanese relations a<s she did between Russians and Jiipane.se? "You lire right. Great Britain is tho factor bringing Amw/ica and Japan into closer and more cordial terms, as in tho case of Russia and Japan. These good ofiicus are being continued oil all sides with the object of streii|;theiiing the intimacy and fellowship of the Allies. Has' Japan any ground for complaint again.it the Allies? "Of courso you have heard differences of opinion regarding the exports of steel from America to Japan, but these dillcreuccs have never amounted to much, ami tho whole question has been treated m a good spirit by both nations. J huiK the United State is as salwficd with Uie result of the negotiations as Japan. -Now we have no cause of complaint. But we might fairly complain of those. Japanese politicians who appear to regret that Japan is not Allied to licr"l don't say there aro not uucli men nn.on<* liri, but it is quite a common thin" in any country for men opposing the Government to say whatever may suit thoir book and tor Ihe sake ol political capital, which is why such politicians evU in Japan. But the pi'ophi ot Great Britain may rest assured that so long as the Japanese Empire exisU the . ap-yiu-i- ptripl" are I hen , Incmls. ' 'I'o me, some of the Japanese newspapers are scarcely suggestive ol enthusiasm- for tho Allied cau.w. "I'lenso do not mistake temporary political partisan phenomena lor solid ennviclions. Ueliovp- me, little of the supposed indifference or adverse criticism is deeply loundotl." Vurlher, I hi' Japanese people utterly fail lo visunli-i- the llriiisli achievements in their true proportions or rea - ).->(■ how niiici) stronger are the British Nnyy and Army. "There may be people loohsh enough tii iinder-eslinintc your naval and military etreugth, but I would not place

them union" the responsible thinking elements. Possibly the Japanese people may have expected niore showy results from your annul forces. You know how a uoup <le theatre appeals to the common people."

Personally 1 find it difficult to reconcile tho German moral of your Array and lite Germanised character of your culture with the universality of the English language in Japan. Pleaso explain. "The question is a good one. 1 never heard it from u foreigner before, though he may have had it in miudi Thd condition you depict does exist. In Japan you have German-like soldiers side by side with English-speaking population. If 1 may bo allowed to say so, that is a beautiful part of our national character. Japan absorbs civilisation from every country, but whether one studies in England or Germany it is always, with us, from the point of view of the Japanese people. ,So these soldiers who look fit) Herman to you have in reality entirely Japanese minds; so, also, the people whom you heard speaking English aro yet Japanese in thought. In other words, it is borrowed civilisation. To borrow beautiful is but to round off our own character, not to displace it.

"I stayed in Germany for many years. I studied there and people may think tin! pro-German. 1 am not pro-German at all. I am not anti-English; I am qnito Japanese, sharing the national views regarding our international relationships."

I do not quite follow you when you say that you arc Hot anti-English!

"I should expect that answer. What I want to say is that I am not onesided. I am very impartial, but when it comes to choose between an enemy and aji ally ... I cannot be unfriendly or anti-English. What I wish to convey is that, above all, I am Japanes"; but at this juncture, when we are fighting an enemy, how can I be indilWnt to the Allied Powers? Please understand mo correctly."

Anglo-Japanese Alliance,

Do you believe in ilie piTimmoncy of the Angiu-Japauese Alliance?

"That question lias come to me hefore from foreigners, including some Englishmen, i believe it to be a meaningless question. If the whole world changed, it the sun were to rise in the west, tiicu anything might happen. Otherwise.—" ~

A strange pro-Japanese demonstration in Berlin the day war whs declared with Russia still mystifies people in England who know the facts. Can you explain?

"The interpretation of that incident is difficult, but I will give my view. Before the war, no incident hurting the feelings of the two nations, we were on very cordial terms. Therefore, when the German people thought'that in the coining war Japan might take sides on her own account, they did not believe that Japan would do any harm against Germany, Mid they wanted to demonstrate their friendliness." ■

Did they not think that you would take the opportunity to move against Russia?

".Some may have thought so, but I do not agree. Germany must have known that Japan and Bussia would remain good friends."

Critics of Japan say that you fight for your-own materialistic ends', not for an ideal?

"Japan had no particular reason to' go to war uith Germany. She came in in obedience to the obligations of the Angioma panose Alliance-fo keep faith. The facts were there to justify us," Pardon me; was not 'that »dutv-not idealism?

"True; but, behind the duty was the ideal. The late Emperor lleiji' left 30,000 poems enshrining tho beautiful ideals of mnnkind, ami in any moment of stress or crisis the nation turns to them as to i> Bible. Tears a?o the Kaiser, .speaking of The Ypllow Peril,' was very rude to people, whose rftlonr was yellow." He referred to yon as "monkeys"? "Yμ; but as 1 was going to snV. these popins, expressive of national spirit—elnriiient sermons a'gainst agrrression and envy—informed our attitude when we entered the war. I might recall that it was in the Emperor Meiii's reign that the Anglo-Japanese Alliance was concluded."

Japan's War Trade. You do not deny that Japan has gained materially from the war?

But Japan has suffered as well; that suiiering is entirely due. to the war. Our gains have not been as great a 6 people imagine. Before the war admittedly the balance of trade was against us; now it is in our favour, and in -fact our gold reserves sire much larger. Against that set the rise in the cost of living, despite or which Japan is determined to do all in her power to help the Allies, and maintain peace in the Far East. May T remind you that we are policing the "Indian and Pacific Oceans in addition to sending our warships to the Mediteranneau ami supplying tonnage?"

Have the Allies ever asked you to send forces to the West?—" No."

How long do you think, the war will last?

''At the beginning I imagined that disease and famine would bring a quick decision; but sanitation and Army feeding are so wonderfully efficient tint now 1 believe that, unless the notion of ending the war in this way should be agreeable to the Superhuman Power, the conflict will not end in the near future. It may last very long."

However long, you have no doubt of the Allied viotory?

"Of course not; but you must not bo in a hurry. People generally are too much in a hurry."

People who have only one life to lose may be pardoned if they are in a. hurry. (The answer was a- sympathetic nod from the Foreign Minister.)

After a passing reference to Mr. Lloyd George, expressing admiration for his energy and enterprise:, Baron Goto spoke in feeling terms of the valour of tho Allied Armies and tlio staunchness of front n-hich they presented to the enemies' most violent onslaughts. "Thoir conr■igo, tenacity, and patience are beyond praise." Baron Goto added that he could not claim to be a soldier, although , ho fought in Hip later wars of Japan, and received tho Military Medal; but his experience enabled him to appreciate tho difficulty of fighting (his war honourably and in accordance with international practice as the Allies are doing-. That Japan so fought wns a protul fnct. The Allies could be equally proud.

The. impression left on my mind by Urn interview was 'lint Harou Goto was desirous of correctly representing what he considered the national sentiment of Japan. He emphasised the fact that he was not speaking personally, but ■as Foreign Minister.

The rationing of newspapers in England is responsible, according to an exchange, for an unpleasant congestion of the public reading-ioonis during the progress of an oU'cUiiivu. At these times, when the hours are fraught with grave possibilities and the tension of anxiety is high, those who cannot now afford the luxury of a standing order far a newspaper throng the public libraries lo satisfy their desire for inlonmitiofi. In the periods between meals ami in tho early part of the evening it is not unusual to see every paper monopolised, and in many cases a phalanx of six people aro engrossed before one sheet—tiireo in tl(o front rank, two craning their nocks between the shoulders of the foremost trio, and one behind the' middle two at the apex. Obviously this last individual is too hopelessly out of range to absorb anything but the most imposing headlines. His chief aim seems lo b<; lo hold tho position until someone in front moves away and (ho phalanx manoeuvres into new positions. This pressure in the newsrooms is much to tho discomfort of tho regular old hands who haunted tlio rooms in the day* of the half-penny paper.

Sir J. Madden, K.C.M.G- etc.,. Lieu ten-' ant-Governor and Chief Justice of Viclorin, when delivering judgment in a case in which an inferior substitute had been pushed as "just as good" as SANDER'S EUCALYPTI EXTRACT, said with rogaril to the GENUINE SANDER EXTRACT: "Whenever an article is commended to the public by reason of its good quality, it is not permissible to imitate any of its features." When using n medicine it is "good quality" that you want, and SANDER'S EXTRACT has the endorsement and approval of Ihe highest authorities." inlifiled, applied locally, taken on sugar or in water as directed, SANDER'S' EXTRACT is equally beneficial because it is specially refined and prepared by Sander's r."ocess, and contains no harmful by-elfrcts. Use SANDER'S EXTRACT only when yon desire good ami lasting effects; no "just as good."—Advt.