BRITAIN AND JAPAN.

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 104, 19 May 1937, Page 4

BRITAIN AND JAPAN.

In Europe Great Britain' s main diplomatic difficulty has been in reconciling France and Germany.and inducing them to nnderstand that there is nothing . inconsistent in her endeavour to be friendly to both. In the Pacific she is finding much the same trouble in dealing with the United States and Japan. hetween whom it seems impracticable to establish any reaHy cordial relations, though, of course, national feeling is uot as inlense as between the two Continental countries. Japan is just now reported to be making speeial advances towards Great Britain that are in strong contrast with both official and unofficial expressions emanating from Tokio within even the last few months. One question is as to how far they can be entertained without checking realisation of the suggestions of Anglo-Amerioan economic co-ope.ration that are just now very much in the air. So far as Japan is concerned there is no great difficulty in understanding her desire to establish more cordial relations with her jire-war and war-time Western ally, for internal conditions in the Far Eastern island Empire are none of the happiest. The stamdard of living of a great proportion of the Japanese people it low. If there be any striving, as might be expected. on the part of the masses after a higher standard. it is checked by the tendency of commodity prices to rise. The budgetary position is unfavourable and an increase in taxation has been officially declared to be inevitable both for the replenishment of national defence and for the stabilisation of national life. A Government is in office which is supported by only a minority of the members of the Diet. The conditions that exist in the country are> as will be recognised. of a kind that breeds disaffection and creates unrest. In circumstances such as these, the indication of a desire on the part of Japan to improve her relations with a powerful foreign nation is not unnatural. There are, however, considerations other than economic to be taken into account. Japan, having dqnounced the Washington Naval Treaty. is no longer under any international obligation to limit naval construction. Under these circumstances it is a pertinent condition with 'which, it is suggested, Great Britain may invite Japan to comply in the event of the proposals for a rapprochement being actually •submitted. That is, that an Anglo- Japanese naval agreement should be entered into providing for the acceptance of a scheme of limited building of ships of war. An agreement between Great Britain and Japan would be welcomed in the British dominions, Subject to thefr unquestionable rigbt to afford legitimate protectipn to their own industries against the competition of cheaply-produced Japanese goods, they are desiroup of the estahlishment and maintenance of the most cordial relations hetween Great Britain and Japan. Though there may be cogent political arguments against the revival of anything like the old alliance, there are substantial groundg on which an agreement for the co-oper.ation of Great Britain and Japan for their mutual henefit would he received with. satisfaction.