Japan Apologises Neither the British nor the American Government is
in a position to reject Japan's apologies and offers of indemnity for the attacks .on their gunboats in the Yangtze. But both have had to repudiate the Japanese account of the incidents in question. The position is therefore that two Govern- ments consent to accept indemnities and apologies while rejecting the Japanese assertions that the attacks were acci- dental. Short of measures definitely warlike in character they could do little else, and there is no doubt that the Japanese Government is considerably alarmed at what has happened ; whether it can make its authority felt by the impetuous Young Officer class in the field is another question. The effect of the incidents on American public opinion has been to create a greater sense of sym- pathy and of community of interests with Great Britain than at any time since the War. And this, translated as far as possible into common action, can only be increased by the showing of the film of the sinking of the ' Panay,' and by the threat to British and American rights in Shanghai implied in Japan's claim to exercise jurisdiction over all foreigners and Chinese in the International Settlement. President Roosevelt is so far confident of public support as to demand an increase in the naval building programme. Yet the weakness of America and Great Britain is not due to lack of ships ; it is imposed partly by geography, partly by errors of policy in the past and partly by a will to avoid war at almost any cost ; the cost, in the loss of British and American interests, is certain to be high.
