" THE PROBLEM OF JAPAN "
[To the Editor of THE SeEcr.vroal SIR,—Professor Allen, replying in your issue of the loth to my criticism of a passage in his review of The Proble»t of Japan, suggests that he and I use the term " international agreement " in different senses. To some extent this may be true, but the difference is not so great as he appears to think, and he is hardly right in saying that the agreement envisaged by me is one by which Britain and America would recognise Japan's " claim to territory recently won by force of arms and her right to exact certain concessions from China."
Presumably the territory to which he refers is Manehoukuo, but I would point out to him : . (a) That Japan has never claimed this territory as an- integral portion of her own Empire, but regards it in much the same light as we ourselves regard Egypt.
(b) That I have never suggested handing Manehoukuo to Japan.
(c) That already, to all intents and purposes, we recognise Manchuokuo de facto, and that, for the reasons explained in the book, it seems to me that further failure to accord de jure recognition is likely to do far more harm than good.
If this constitutes a plea for recognition of Japan's " claim to territory recently won by force of arms," then I plead guilty ; but I submit, Sir, that such is not the case.--1 am, Sir, yours very truly, M. D. KENNEDY.
Ockham Road, llorecy, Surrey.
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