Answer

The Japanese are not always tardy about answering diplomatic notes. Fortnight ago, when Britain, France and the U. S. heard that Japan was building 46,000-ton battleships, these London Treaty signatories, bound morally if not legally by that pact to do so, officially asked Japan if this were true. If true, the treaty powers were free to exceed their 35,000-ton limits.

Last week, eight days before the time limit for a reply had expired, the Japanese Foreign Office proved its mastery of delicate diplomacy. A note was sent to the three powers reiterating Japan's willingness to negotiate "quantitative" arms reduction (to all-round parity), but regretting that no information would be given on current Japanese naval construction. At the same time a most interesting statement was given. It began by saving the Japanese Navy's face by stating that Japan was not concerned with the provisions of a treaty of which she was not a signatory. But it went on to say that if the treaty powers "dogmatically conclude" that Japan is building ships above treaty limits and proceed to do so themselves, Japan would have "no alternative but to alter her building plans to cope with that construction."

Since if Japan would have to "alter her plans" to build 46,000-ton ships she was obviously building none at present, this seemed a clever way of slipping the requested information out the back door. However, it did not seem to strike Secretary Hull that way. Taking the Japanese Government's curt note as an invitation to Britain, France and the U. S. to scrap their 35,000-ton limitation, the Secretary said: "The Government . . . regrets any development which has the effect of encouraging rather than discouraging races in armament building."

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