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THE CHINA MAIL, APRIL 13, 1937.
Japan tore up the treaties in 1931 the third shield of peace, the League of Nations (plus the ation of the United States), failed to save China. All three policies having collapsed, are proposing toʻ enter the Pacific with greater London Office:
naval strength than hitherto, and we may as- Garrick Street, London, W.C.2.
sume that it will be done with the approval and active support Notice To Contributors.
of the Dominions. The position All communications intended for will then be: Japan with a Con- tinental army and with a navy publication should be addressed to that is almost invulnerable if the Editor, and be accompanied by based on the Japanese islands; the mo- Writer's Name and Address, China, with whom at not necessarily for insertion but ment not even Japan would wel- come open war; Soviet Russia, whose Eastern army and Air Force could now meet Japan on even terms or better; the United States, with a great navy and an incalculable policy; and Britain, which announces the coming creation of an Eastern fleet.
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Hong Kong, Tuesday, April 13, 1937.
BRITISH POLICY IN THE FAR EAST
•
What sort of a force will even- tually be based on Singapore is a question that no one can answer until we know what size of navy, including both overage and new ships, the Government proposes to maintain. At the height of the tension with Italy the Gov- ernment feared that a sudden attack on us in the Mediter- ranean might put us in a danger Plans for a vast expansion, ously weak position in the North ultimately, of Britain's naval Sea. It is clear, therefore, that forces in the Pacific, together the Government will have no with announcements of the huge force to spare for Singapore un- sums to be spent upon making less either the position in Europe Hong Kong impregnable to at greatly improves or our fleet is tack, have brought home to the maintained at a much higher Colony's residents the sudden level. But the dispatch of ships shifting of naval gravity and the to the Eastern Hemisphere sharp change in Imperial (which is in itself as legitimate strategy. Some years ago, it an act of self-defence as the was an "open secret” that in armaments of Soviet Russia or the event of a war in the Far Japan or the United States) will East, Hong Kong would be vir-not in itself produce peace, It. tually abandoned to her fate and may even make tension · more that defence would be concen-acute; or it may, when allied trated upon Singapore. To-day, with China's growing strength it is assumed that Hong Kong (if it still grows) and the peace- would be as strongly defended ful but well-supported policies of almost as Singapore itself.
Russia and the United States, make for quietude in the Eastern It is interesting, therefore, to seas. The Manchester Guar- observe that strong doubts are dian" does not believe that any expressed in authoritative quar- of these displays of armed force, ters in Britain that Britain is nor all of them together, can be pursuing the correct policy in a guarantee of peace in the Paci the Far East and it is suggested fic. They will, it suggests, only that more could be achieved by preserve a precarious balance supporting China up to the hilt which chance or national ambi- and rendering her too strong for tion or the impulse of some any other Power to attack.
megalomaniac dictatorship may Sir Samuel Hoare's Naval Es-one day topple over. Peace in timates made it plain that the Pacific depends on the re though the prime reason for vival of the Washington treaties Britain's naval re-armament is which served so well for ten to be found in the re-emergence years, and that again depends on of Germany and the expansion a change of policy, which im- of Italy, which have changed the plies a change of heart, in Japan. Western scene to our disadvan-The British Empire, the United tage, at the same time we mean States, and Soviet Russia, not to to
base a fleet (strength not mention both China herself and known but certainly substantial) the less interested or smaller on Singapore. The history of Powers, are certainly anxious to British diplomacy in the Far renew the old Pacific undertak- East (and that is at the heart of ings. The key is with Japan. policy in the Pacific) has for For Japan the weakness of China many years been one of failure. is a temptation, and Japan is During the Anglo-Japanese Al-strong enough to resist anything liance (1902-1921) we had the except temptation. It should protection of the most powerful therefore be British policy and State in Eastern Asia; that the policy of every other country period was ended by public opin- that seeks peace in the East, to jon, partly in Great Britain but strengthen China by all means, still more in the Dominions, and moral and material. Nor, should not without some thoughts of this be done merely in order that the United States. From 1922 in the near future Japan may not to September, 1981, the Pacific be tempted but also because a treaties made at Washington as China that is itself at peace, sured peace to all; they were up- contented, and self-reliant this held by the unaggressive policy essential to the progress of the which was then followed by Eastern Hemisphere and there- Japan During all this time, m-fore to our own. If China is not cluding the Great War, we our open to attack, the other coun- selves had no more than a small tries that look on the Pacific are squadron in the East. When likely to have peace.