LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
[Letters of the length of one of our leading paragraphs are often more read,and therefore more effective, than those which fill treble the space.]
THE ANGLO-JAPANESE ALLIANCE.
CTo THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."' have read with very great interest your illuminating article of June 11th on the issues before the forthcoming Imperial Conference. I would like to say before I go any fur- ther that whilst I was in Canada and America a similar article written by you at the beginning of May was telegraphed over and created the very greatest interest, not only in the United States but in Canada as well, where it was thought to be by far the most important contribution to the discussion that had appeared in print for a very long time. In your article of June 11th the matter which at once attracts my attention is naturally the question of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance, since I have been sent to this country by the Chinese Government to place before the public and Parliament what the Chinese view really is on this issue. China believes from her experience during the last seven years, which has been bitter in the extreme, that so long as a military agreement binds England and Japan together, so long will it be impossible for China's regeneration to be worked out.
The reasons for this assumption are as follows :-
" There should normally be a certain equilibrium in the Far East, i.e., a balance between China and Japan, neither country being assigned a major place, but each treating the other on terms of perfect equality. This is plainly impossible so long as Japan is able to come to China daily and tell her, as I know from my daily work in Peking, that she is backed up by Britain in all she does, and that no matter what criticism may appear in the newspapers, the British Government will in the last analysis always support the Japanese Government in all she does throughout the Far East. This state of affairs practically leads to the intimidation of China by Japan, to all sorts of small and petty daily annoyances tending to depress and humiliate the official class and make them believe that there is no hope for China and it is no use to struggle against the great forces which confront her. But once you cancel the Alliance you will automatically place Japan in a different position. Where she has been unreasonable with China she will become reasonable and friendly, because being just as isolated from the West as other Asiatic countries, and without military and diplomatic bonds uniting her to a great Power as to-day, she will be inclined to look with a forgiving eye on her neighbour's shortcomings, sympathize with her in her distress, and in the end find common ground and solve all those difficulties which now divide the two countries."
This is the whole psychology of the Far Eastern situation to-day. Beyond this nothing needs really to be said. I have good reason for stating that India thinks of this British mili- tary agreement in precisely the same way as China. So far from it having a symbolical value from the Imperial stand- point, as a writer in the Morning Post appears to believe, it is 1 )oked upon by all Asiatic races other than Japan as an affront to their dignity, and a discrimination in favour of one of the Oriental races, simply because that race has shown herself able to use armed force more successfully than others. This is mani- festly unfair, illiberal and bound to lead to unhappy conse- Ouences:. As for the argument that this Alliance allows Eng- land to use a friendly and moderating influence on Japan, I deny that assumption entirely, since at no time during the currency of this agreement has Japan ever hesitated to carry out her private plans whenever she has thought the time was ripe. I hope you will continue to raise your powerful voice during the whole Imperial Conference. You can be quite sure that everything you have written will be translated and read from one end of Asia to the other, for your manly and far. seeing arguments are precisely those which. Asia needs to 114 presented to the world to-day.—I am, Sir, &e., B. Lassos SIMPSON
(Political Adviser to the Government of China). Hotel Victoria, Northumberland Avenue, W.C.
[We refer to this letter in our leading columns.—En. Spectator.]
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