Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), Monday 8 January 1934, page 1
NAVAL RACE
Japan's Menace to
World Peace
STRONG VIEWS HELD BY
ITALY
ROME, Sunday.
Remarkable frankness is displayed in the report accompanying the Italian naval estimates for 1934-35, presented to the Chamber of Deputies.
The report declares that the naval armament race, between Britain, the United States and Japan, has already began and that Washington and London Naval Treaties are endangered.
The report continues that the main responsibility for rearmament rests on Japan, whose penetration into Manchuria has aroused apprehension. America is leading the naval increase, causing Britain to build more ships.
The report adds the struggle is most violent between the United States and Japan, whose penetration of Manchuria and adoption of an Asiatic Monroe doctrine, threatens American interests in China.
"The Japanese do not consider war from the white man's viewpoint," it adds. Their mentality revolves around Japan's historic mission with triumph and domination of the Japanese race, in which lies the tragedy of to-morrow. The mission of to-day is to invade China to-morrow, urged by racial hatred, the Japanese will fight
the white race."
The report concludes with the plea to Europe to seek the protection of a Four-Power pact, ensuring that the naval conferences to follow the expiry of the Washington and London naval agreements will be held under a new
spirit.
The report adds that pending
struggle with the United States, Japan aims at the supremacy of the Pacific' What is going to happen there deserves particular attention. Europe, engaged in internecine strife, fails to see the serious dangers elsewhere.