U.S.A. & JAPAN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 December 1939, Page 5

U.S.A. & JAPAN

FUTURE TRADE RELATIONS AGREEMENT LIKELY TO REPLACE TREATY. AMERICA’S ACTION IMPRESSES JAPANESE. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. NEW YORK, December 23. The Domei News Agency said the Japanese Foreign Office was instructing the Ambassador at Washington to seek an early appointment with the Secretary of State, Mr Cordell Hull, to discuss an agreement to replace the expiring commercial treaty. The Foreign Minister, Admiral Nomura, is reported to be “most favourably impressed” with the United States’ failure to impose the tariff penalty. A Washington message says that the Commissioner of Customs confirmed that the United States is invoking President Grant’s 1872 Proclamation, suspending the 10 per cent penalty tariff against Japan. It is believed that President Roosevelt if he wished could revoke the proclamation. The Shanghai correspondent of the New York Times, Mr Abend, says that American and other third power interests in China are vastly relieved that Washington advices failed fully to confirm the optimistic Japanese statements indicating that the United States was waiving all objections to the "new order in East Asia.” The potency of the United States of America’s trade weapon against Japan is evidenced by the fact that reopening of the -Yangtse is promised in spite of opposition of the most radical wing of the army. It is realised that General Abe’s Cabinet took its life in its hands in making this promise, only after the saner militarists and a majority of the navy, industrialists and financiers had analysed the situation and seen how severance of trade between the United States of America and Japan would paralyse national economy and military efforts. According to tlie official Berlin news agency, the new Japanese Ambassador, Mr Kurusu, in an interview said: “It is clear that people such as the Germans will get and maintain the position in the world which is due to them. Japan, too is only fulfilling the task entrusted her by Providence when she seeks to create a new order in East Asia.”