229
2
365. Lord Barnby, leader of the Economic Mission to Japan in 1934, who urged that faith should still be reposed in Japanese assurances was warmly praised in the Japanese papers for his sincerity." It was such a man, they said, who should be sent to Tokyo as British Ambassador.
Attacks on the Ambassador.
366. The Kokumin, the most reactionary of the Japanese papers, has been carrying on a ridiculous personal attack on His Majesty's Ambassador, stating that he did not understand the Japanese point of view, and urging his immediate recall. Little attention was paid to these articles and many Japanese appeared to regret this rude attack on a foreign envoy.
Interview with Minister for Foreign Affairs.
--
367. On the 8th December and on the 26th December Mr. Arita received the British and American Ambassadors (although not together) to continue what he describes as free talks," elucidating and clarifying Japan's policies. On each occasion the press obtained advance information of the dates and details as to the talks themselves, which could only have come from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. These leakages are absurdly common and the resulting publicity is often harmful.
Violation of Hong Kong Territory by Japanese Troops.
368. On the 26th November a few Japanese soldiers, engaged in clearing the territory north of Kowloon of Chinese soldiers, crossed the border into British territory. Representations were made at Tokyo. Further representations made at Tokyo when the Japanese announced their intention of capturing Shataukok. a village on the border between British and Chinese territory, resulted in the projected attack being abandoned.
369. Contact between the British and Japanese military authorities was established at Chumehun on the 29th November, when the Japanese made ample apologies for their violation of British territory on the 26th November. Some shells had fallen in British territory, and there were a few casualties among both British subjects and Chinese.
Germany.
370. A huge German plane arrived at the Tachikawa aerodrome near Tokyo on the evening of the 30th November, having completed the trip from Berlin in forty-six hours. For five days the members of the crew had to undergo continuous celebrations. The German Ambassador said that he hoped the Condor's achieve- ment would be the forerunner of the establishment of a regular air service between Germany and Japan. The Foreign Minister said that the flight testified to the prestige of German aviation and the excellent technique and high efficiency of the plane. The Yomiuri remarked that "the amazing success of the German Condor plane symbolises the wonderful vigour of the rising German nation." The members of the crew, in the numerous speeches they had to make, emphasised the reliability of the machine even if two out of the four engines broke down. The plane could continue on the remaining two. The Japan Air Transport Company ordered five Condor planes from the Focke-Wulf Company, to be paid for, in the Meanwhile the Italians. country's present straitened finances, with soya beans. whose goodwill plane had broken down at Beirut a few days previously, must have looked on with envy at all the flag-waving and speech-making
371. The Condor fell into the sea, however, shortly before reaching Manila on its homeward journey. The plane may have been able to fly with two engines. but it had a single petrol feed and when a blockage occurred there was nothing for it but to try to make a forced landing. Nobody was drowned or even hurt. The plane was raised from the sea-bed a few days later full of sand and in two pieces. The crew and what remained of the plane were shipped home to Germany.
Italy.
372. Italy carries on her propagandist activities, somewhat ineffectually when one compares them with the splash which the Germans always contrive to make, even when their goodwill planes fall into the sea.
3
373. The Japan-Italian institute arranges for the exchange of artistic treasures. The Japan-Italian Cultural Institute erects a miniature Japanese castle at Venice. And so on.
U.S.S.R.
374. One would think that the U.S.S.R. and Japan, no matter how strained their relations, would at any rate have an efficient diplomatic liaison. There is, however, no ambassador here. The last two ambassadors are both thought to have been liquidated.' The present chargé d'affaires, a professor of ichthyology, speaks little but Russian and is seldom seen.
C
"}
375. Soviet-Japanese relations have become very strained of late over the fisheries question. The Russians refuse to renew sone valuable fishing leases off the Siberian coast until Manchukuo has paid off her debt on the Chinese Eastern Railway. The Japanese, who are behaving somewhat truculently and have declared their resolution to go on fishing, treaty or no treaty, have till now taken the somewhat childish line that the question of the debt is one for Manchukuo, not Japan, to decide.
376.
An impasse seems to have been reached. A rupture in diplomatic relations is talked about, but, in fact, this would do little to change these relations as they are in Tokyo at the present moment.
Hungary.
377. A Far Eastern repercussion of the Munich Agreement may be heard in the newspaper reports that Hungary and Japan are to sign a cultural pact; that Hungary will soon recognise Manchukuo; that the Japan- Hungary Society has sent 20,000 books explaining Japan and her culture to Hungary, and that it is planning the exchange of students and professors between the two countries.
Premier's Statement.
378. The Premier's long-awaited pronouncement on Japan's basic demands in China was eventually issued in the form of a statement on the night of the 22nd December. It had originally been arranged that Prince Konoye should make a statement in regard to the Government's policy in the course of a speech at Osaka on the 11th December. But those arrangements were cancelled almost at the last moment, ostensibly for the reason that the Premier was indisposed. The current explanation of this delay, however, was that the Government had hoped to announce the formation of a Government in Central China under Wu Pei-fu and that the latter, by tightening up his terms at the last moment. had caused the Government's plans to miscarry. The basic demands were as follows:--
(1) Establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Manchukuo (2) Conclusion of an anti-Comintern agreement between China and Japan. (3) The stationing of Japanese troops in China and the designation of
Inner Mongolia as a special anti-Communist area.
(4) Recognition of the freedom of residence and trade for Japanese in
China.
(5) Extension to Japan of facilities for the development of China's natural
resources, especially in North China and Inner Mongolia.
There was nothing very startling in the pronouncement, and considering the importance which had been attached to it in anticipation, it was somewhat disappointing. There have been a good many of these oracular utterances lately. Each one is vaguer than the last and receives less attention both from the press and from the people.
Tientsin.
379. Even judging from the accounts appearing in the local papers. the Japanese military in Tientsin are behaving extremely badly. Ever since the evacuation of the concessions by most of the Japanese businesses and residents. a slow attempt has been made to isolate and terrorise these areas. The eventual aim of the army in North China can no longer be held in doubt. On the 22nd December barbed-wire entanglements were erected on all roads leading into the British and French concessions. Passes had to be produced, and, after dark, travel
[508 cc-6]
B 2
230