A New Japanese Foreign Policy ?
The speech on Japan's foreign policy delivered by Mr. Sato, the new Foreign Minister, before the House of Peers on Monday is reassuring. So is the fact that it was made by Mr. Sato, who is a man of intelligence and moderation, with ideas enlarged by his considerable diplomatic experience in Europe. In a survey of Japan's relations with other individual countries Mr. Sato drew a just distinction between the Soviet Government and the Comintern, recognised the fact, and by implication admitted the justice, of British suspicions of Japan's policy in China, and declared, in the most important passage of his speech, that China's demand to be treated by Japan on a footing of equality should be respected and that his own policy would be developed in the light of that principle. Many Ministerial declarations have been made in Japan which have borne little fruit in action, but it is of some importance that Mr. Sato accepted his present position with the approval of General Sugiyama, the War Minister, and may therefore perhaps be assumed to have spoken with the assent of the military authorities. If so, that means a new and encouraging departure in Japanese foreign policy. China, however, is suspending judgement.
