JAPANESE EQUALITY.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 May 1919, Page 5

JAPANESE EQUALITY.

FAILURE OP AMENDMfifT: ) AUSTRALIA HELD ACCOUNTABLE. (Sydney Sun's Special Representative); Paris, April 7. A telephone message last- night iHvited me to cal) upon Bardn Maldno, cue of the Japanese delegates to tlte Peace Conference, this morning. . I was strongly impressed by bis grate warning that public opinion in Japan will hold Australia accountable for the failure of the amendment to' the' Covenant.

Baron Makiuo is a moderate, kindly old man, slow-speaking, and slow noting, with a diplomatic repntation f#r true honesty. His long service'at diplomatic posts and in politics tiim one of the most distinguished fljfflreg of the Conference. He looked worried and spoke fle»»imistically. He is a. very different Me from the aggressive, expand*® yamg diplomat I met recently at bead^nt* Baron Makino fears that Japd-AtS' tralian relations will be> seriously eaApromised by the Government because the Japanese pnblio ig clsjttot' ons for some recognition of racial emntfity, and is convinced that only Anrfi§. ban opposition stands in the way. Apparently Baron Makino tut# ateurance3 from all the other delegations. I said that the admission of Japan as one of the leading membeiv of the League of Nations was the TBosfc (bicing acceptance possible of her equality. Baron Makino replied that that Jg accoptance of national eqtmffty, bn&Mot individual. The whole rising feeling of pride in Japan asks fifr »e----cognition of individnal eqneUity—flat men are bora free an 4 eqnaL

AUSTRALIA'S ATTITUDE Ail AFFRONT. ," Baron Makino-did not t9*tnafce any detailed statement for pnltir«Mf«n, fearing that matters hod abMMfe too far for that to do any* good* It is clear, however, that th* Japanese nation regards the Australian attitude as an affront. The JapaaaM that a new clause in the' Covenant tt■plicitly declaring that the T■»««.. in. no authority over domestle r.jhTafW or internal affairs makes the Jamtralian claim that the Japanese aUKkdment would bring immigration- ntSlin the league's purview ridiculous. The Japanese expressly assert tluit the amendment will not toudirinkmifra. tion and labor question*, mawly being an assertion of man's equality. In its final form the amendment fia about a dozen words for iaaertJba in the preamble acknowledgfag; th» ciple of "just treatment" of aft tfaMU* tionals who are members of v {&o The present Japanese Oowuiuamt seems prepared to gnanmtea {hat fin amendment will not be used MS ia stop* ping-stone. But Governments change. 'lndeed, news from Japan shows But the Government n at present fnswore in view of the rising* demands for drastic! social reform.

It is gravely unfortunate, however, that Australia, has been made a special target for Japanese suspicion ""d resentment.

In my opinion; we are being used to pull chestnuts out of the' fire for greater Powers, which equally dislike the amendment, and share the fears that it will lead to a stronger demand later on. I mentioned this to Baron Makino. He indisposed to believe that such a position of affairs was possible. Indeed, the Japanese delegation remains convinced that America would accept the amendment .if Australia-ac-cepted it