JAPAN’S POLICY.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 October 1921, Page 5

JAPAN’S POLICY.

NO ULTERIOR MOTIVES. QUESTION OF EQUALITY. NEED FOR EXPANSION. By Telegraph.—Press Assn—Copyright. New York, Oct. 20. The Times publishes a speech delivered by the Japanese Premier. M. Hara, at Tokio, in which he stated that it was dear the calamities of the war would not be removed entirely until the existing inequalities among the nations were removed.

The essentia} conditions of permanent peace were that no race should adopt measures calculated to compel the suicide of another race, that there should be an avoidance of -the unequal distribution of necessary supplies among the nations which at present, owing to the eelfish desires of a nation or nations, constituted a serious menace to peace. Japan had been frequently called a mili taristic, aggressive country. This was the error of some foreigners; it was only a phantom of their own imagination.

Japan had endeavored to maintain her position in face of the greatest difficulties, and finally she had been enabled to develop into the great Powe* of the East. Japan, as the result of the war, had been admitted to be one of the five great Powers of the world, but it should be borne in mind that the real position of Japan in international policies was far behind that of other Powers, and it would be a great mistake to think she really deserved the position assigned her. The world, frankly speaking, was still full of inequalities. Japan’s population was steadily increasing and suffering from scarcity of food. It was necessary that the nation entrusted with the maintenance of peace in the Far (East should be immune from such troubles. For this reason the throwing open of the world to all-comers was an essential co?dit:on of permanent peace. They did not insist upon the unconditional throwing open of the world, but at least it should be opened to the extent of allowing freedom of transportation of all supplies which might be facilitated by the removal of all artificial economic barriers. A clear reapproehement between America, Britain and Japan would have the effect of removing the causes of unrest in the world and guaranteeing permanent peace. Mr. Hara concluded: “Japan's foreign policy is free from all ulterior motives or diplomatic manoeuvring. Japan fully respects the authority and sanctity of the Paris Treaty, and is ready to comply with the stipulations faithfully without doubts or misgivings.”

FRENCH WINES AND SPIRITS. London, Oct. 21. The Daily Mail states that the French delegation to the Washington Conference is taking its own supplies of champagne and brandy for private entertainments, in return for American hospitality. The delegates have received many requests to bring as many cases of w'ines and spirits as possible, owing to the diplomatic immunity from Customs interference.

CHINESE DEMANDS. Washington, Oct. 21. The Honolulu correspondent of the Chicago Tribune interviewed Chang Yuan, Chief Counsellor of the Chinese Foreign Office, and temporarily in charge of the Chinese Armament Delegation, which has arrived at Honolulu en route to the United States. He said that China would insist absolutely on Japan's getting out of Shantung, the unconditional revocation of her 21 demands, and the evacuation of all the Chinese territory now occupied by the Japanese military. Their experience of Japan had left a deep-rooted conviction that she was not to be trusted. No matter what counter arguments Japan might make at the conference, the cardinal points of Chinese policy must remain unchanged.