Tientsin and Tokyo The Anglo-Japanese discussions of the Tientsin dispute,
which were to have opened at Tokyo on Thursday, have now been postponed because the arrival of Japan's military representatives from Tientsin has been delayed. Already the British Government's " assumption " that insults to British subjects in Tientsin will cease has been disappointed. Stripping and searching of British subjects continues ; and the blockade of the Concession still prevents free entry of fresh food. This may be regarded as a declaration by the army leaders in Tientsin that they will continue their attempt to intimidate Great Britain until the discussions in Tokyo end to their satisfaction. There will indeed be three and not two parties to the discussions: the British Government, the Japanese Government, and the Japanese Army. The shifting of the dispute to Tokyo is taken as a sign that the Japanese Government still preserves some goodwill to Great Britain; but the Army, including the War Office, insists in various pronouncements that the main subject of the discussions must be, not the local issues at Tientsin, but the major question of Great Britain's attitude to the " China incident." " Unless a change is achieved," says the Japanese War Office, " the conference can accom- plish little." Since there can be no question of British capitulation to this demand, a successful issue to the con- ference must depend on whether the Japanese Cabinet can assert its authority over the Army leaders.
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