Matsuoka's Homecoming

Japanese bugles in China are not so loud as Japan's bugle diplomat, Yosuke Matsuoka. After he stalked out of the League of Nations' conference on Manchuria last February, he sounded off for Japan through France, Britain and the U. S. Back home, the Japanese glowed proudly at Matsuoka's Japanism. Even Occidental diplomats were impressed by the single-mindedness of this little U. S.-educated yellow man. He had yielded not an inch on Japan's claims. Last week Matsuoka arrived in Tokyo.

As he stepped into the big station plaza a roar of "Banzai!" from 20,000 Japanese throats made his controlled face work, his toothbrush mustache jump up & down. The Emperor sent him a cask of sake (rice wine) and a case of fish, had him to luncheon at the Imperial Palace. To his countrymen Matsuoka's statements were a model for homecoming Japanese statesmen.

First, with appropriate humility, he apologized for his "failure to make the other nations understand Japan's position," advised the Japanese not to waste their time on such "an unworthy servant." Second, he bitterly attacked the "attitude of superiority toward Asiatics" in British Lord Lytton's League of Nations Report on Manchuria. Third, getting his tongue into his bugle, he said, "Japan is in a position never to compromise in any way regarding recognition of Manchukuo."

Next he made what would have been a daring speech for any Japanese statesman less sure of his popularity. Said he: "Now that I have seen Japan from a distance my heart is filled with apprehension for the future. ... I doubt if the nation is conscious of its crisis. No people in the world are so politically conventional as the Japanese. We ought to take a lesson from America, where the President, acting irrespective of political parties, has the support of 90% of the American people in his vigorous actions for the relief of the nation. That sight should give us hope, as our crisis is less severe than America's. ... I have become convinced that we can tell the American people what we have at the bottom of our hearts."

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.