N.Y.TIH33-JAH I6,IJ«9.
yextofGreat lllain's Note to Japafi
WDOK, Jan. IS (AP).-PoJ-
louHita is the text of the British
note to Japan, delivered yesterday
in Tokyo by the British Ambas-
sador, Sir Robert Craigie, to For-
eign Minister Hachiro Arita:
I
I am Instructed by His Majes-
ty's Principal Secretary of State
for Foreign Affairs to inform
Tour Excellency of the uncertain-
ty and grave anxiety in which Hit
Majesty's Government in the
United Kingdom have been loft
by study of Japan's new policy In
Far Eastern affairs as set out in
recent statements by the late
Prime Minister and' other Jap-
anese statesmen. <
I am. to refer more particularly
to Prince Konoye's statements of
Nov. 3 and Dec. 22, and to the
communication made by Your Ex-
cellency to foreign press ' corre-
spondents Dec. 19. This uncer-
tainty has not been removed by
conversations on this subject
which I have had with Your Ex-
cellency from time to time.
II
From these pronouncements
and from other official informa-
tion Issued in Japan His Majes-
ty's Government infer that It is
the intention of the Japanese
Government to establish a tri-
partite combination or bloc com-
posed of Japan, China and Man-
churia in which supreme author-
ity will be vested in Japan and
subordinate , roles will be al-
lotted to China and Manchuria.
So far as China is concerned,
it is understood that the Japanese
Government is to exercise con-
trol, at least for some time,
through the Asia Development
Council In Tokyo, which is
charged with the formulation
and execution of policy connected
with political, economic and cul-
tural affairs in China.
Your Excellency's own com-
munication to the press indi-
cates that the tripartite combina-
tion is to form a single economic
unit and economic activities of
other powers are to be subjected
to restrictions dictated by re-
quirements of national defense
and economic security of the pro-
posed bloc.
Ill
According: to Prince Konoye,
the hostilities in China are to
continue until the present Chinese
Government has been crushed or
will consent to enter, the pro-
posed combination on Japanese
terms.
China, he said, will be required
to conclude with Japan an anti-
Comintern agreement and Japa-
nese troops are to be stationed at
specified points in Chinese terri-
tory for an Indefinite period, pre-
sumably* to insure that Japanese
conditions for the suspension of
hostilities are observed. -
Moreover, his Excellency stated
that the Inner Mongolian region
must be designated as a special
anti-Communist area. It Is not
clear what is meant by this, but
In the absence of fuller Informa-
tion it can only be assumed that
Inner. Mongolia is to be subjected
to an even greater degree of Jap-
anese military control than other
parts of China.
IV
His Majesty's Government are
at a loss to understand how
Prince Konoye's assurance that
Japan seeks no territory, and re-
spects the sovereignty of China,
can be reconciled with the de-
clared intention of the Japanese
Government to compel the Chi-
nese people by force of arms to
accept conditions involving the
surrender of their political, eco-
nomic and cultural life to Jap-
anese control, indefinite mainte-
nance in China of considerable
Japanese' garrisons and the vir-
tual detachment from China of
the territory of Inner Mongolia.
For their part. His Majesty's
Government desire to make. It
clear that'they are not prepared
to accept or to recognize changes
of the nature indicated which are
.brought about by force.
They Intend to adhere to the
principles of the Nine-Power
Treaty and cannot agree to uni-
lateral modification of Its terms.
They would point out that,
until the outbreak of the present
hostilities, the beneficial effects
which the treaty was expected to
produce were steadily being
realized.
The Chinese people were main-
taining and developing for them-
selves an effective and stable gov-
ernment and the principle of equal
opportunity for commerce and in--
due try of all nations was bring-
ing prosperity to China and to
her international trade. Including
that with Japan.
His Majesty's Government there-
fore cannot agree, as suggested In
Japan, that the treaty Is obsolete
or that Its provisions no longer
meet the situation, except In so
far as the situation has been
altered by Japan in contravention
of its terms.
VI
While, however. His Majesty's
Government maintain that modi-
fication cannot be effected uni-
laterally and must be by negotia-
tion between all the signatories,
they do not contend that treaties
are eternal.
If, therefore, the Japanese Gov-
ernment have any constructive
suggestions to make regarding
modification of any of the multt-'.
lateral agreements relating to
China, His Majesty's Government
for their part will be ready to con-
sider them. In the meantime, His
Majesty's Government reserve all
their rights under existing treaties.
VII
I am further instructed to refer
to that portion of Prince Konoye's
statement of Dec. 22 which sta
that Japan is prepared to gt
consideration t« the abolition of
extraterritoriality and rendition
of foreign concessions and settle-
ments in China.
This inducement to China to
accept Japan's demands would
appear to entail but little sacri-
fice on the part of the Japanese,
for,'if they succeed in their plans
for control of the country, they
will have no further need for
extraterritoriality or concessions.
On the other hand, His Maj-
esty's Government would recall
that they undertook and nearly
completed negotiations with the
Chinese- Government in 1931 for
abrogation of British extraterri-
torial rights.
The negotiations were suspend-
ed by the Chinese Government In
consequence of disturbed cohdi- j
tions following the seizure of
Manchuria by Japanese forces in i
that year, but His Majesty's Gov-
ernment have always been ready
to resume negotiations at a suit-
able time and are prepared to
discuss this and other similar
questions with a fully indepen-
dent Chinese Government when
peace has been restored.
VIII
In conclusion I am to state that
If, as is possible. His Majesty's
Government have in any way
misinterpreted the intentions of
the Japanese Government, they
feel that it is because of the am-
biguity with which those inten-
tions; have so far been expressed
and they would welcome more
precise and detailed exposition of
the Japanese conditions for ter-
minating hostilities and of the
Japanese policy toward China.
M
AS-