IHfll l^^Bi^^M w» H HB wB WB i^ I^BTombbI "TT3HC3P PEOPLES PA3P»BPL^ THURSDAY, JUtiT 26. 1928. Friendliness Without Fulsomeness

NZ Truth, Issue 1182, 26 July 1928, Page 6

IHfll l^^Bi^^M w» HHBwBWB i^ I^BTombbl "TT3HC3P PEOPLES PA3P»BPL^ THURSDAY, JUtiT 26. 1928. Friendliness Without Fulsomeness

.i+ ■ ; A GREAT deal of nonsense has been talked and written about our feelings towards the Japanese who are now visiting us, and of their feelings towards us. I The Japanese are shrewd folk, who are not likely to swallow this guff— they will judge us as they find us. . They helped us m the war — because it was to their interest to do 80. They will not help ns m the next — if it is not to their interest. The Japanese ar6 a clever people* a courteous people, a determined people. Their cleverness, their politeness, their determination were plainly enough shown by the way m which they grabbed Korea aijd South Manchuria, and are nowgetting ready to grab North Manchuria. Land, and yet more land, is to them a matter of survival or decay. They believe that they could make of New Zealand and Australia what Britain has made of India— a land, bursting with factories and farms and wealth beyond imagining. This fact has to be faced some time or other. Japan knows it, and has known it for years. So has Britain. So has almost every country except New Zealand. There is no harm m welcoming the Japanese or being as friendly towards them as we know how. They are always friendly and helpful to Britishers travelling m their country. But they do not allow their friendliness to blind them to the fact that they want something from us; and we m our turn should not be blinded by Jthe smokescreen of fulsome praise and blah with which our speakers and writers are : greeting this naval occasion. "World peace cannot be achieved by masking guns m glazed paper and calling them lolly pops. And the respect of strong nations cannot be won by getting down on our hams and licking the boots of their representatives. ,. A little more common-sense and a great deal less saccharine would come nearer to what is seemly.'