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Manchester Guardian
By
Gareth Jones
Tokyo 11.3.35
It is curious that the firebrands
of the world should often be small in stature and meek in manner.
The personality of General Araki, the
“Tiger” of Japan, the prime mover in the conquest of Manchuria, former
War Minister bears out the truth of this, as I found during a visit to
him in Tokyo.
When I had reached his small humble
wooden home in a narrow lane on the outskirts of the city, had passed
the miniature trees in his few yards of garden, had taken off my shoes
at the threshold and donned slippers, I was taken to a modest room with
European furniture. In one corner there stood a medieval suit of armour
on the helmet of which a golden dragon was perched. A stature of
General Nogi who with his wife committed harakiri on the death of the
Emperor Meiji, showed the type of courage which General Araki admires.
The tiger skin on the sofa and the picture of a wild tiger with staring
eyes about to spring, perhaps were symbols of the methods of sudden
attack favoured by the Japanese army in the past. As a contrast there
was underneath the picture of the tiger an oil painting – most Victorian
and amateur – of apples and grapes. Near the window a bullet had the
place of honour.
General Araki, dressed in a black silk
kimono, his head shaven like that of a Buddhist monk, entered quietly.
His voice was quiet; his eyes were sharp and keen; his moustache was
long and tapering to a point. His movements and welcome were more those
of a priest than of a military man.
Since he is held to be the
greatest opponent of Communism in Japan and was once regarded as a
supporter of war against the Soviet Union, I asked him through an
interpreter – for he can speak no foreign language – his present
attitude towards the Soviet regime.
“The Russians are more generous that I
ever imagined they would be.” he replied smiling. “They have invited
me, one of their great enemies, to come and visit them. They are indeed
kind-hearted. They are true sons of nature”.
“And your attitude towards their
policy?” I asked.
“My view is “laissez-faire” as far as
Russia is concerned. They should have full freedom to develop the
Socialist cause in their own country, but I strongly object to their
ideas in our country. The Communists treat human beings like machines
and I am opposed to this machine-like view of human institutions. If
the worship of he machine grows, human civilisation may be destroyed.
“Do you think that Communism will
succeed in China, General Araki?”
“With conditions in China as anarchical
as they are and with support from the Soviet Government, there is a
chance of Communism spreading in China”.
“Communism said to be strong in Sinkiang
and to be spreading in Szechuan. Many people fear a large Communist
State from the borders of the Soviet Union to the South of Szechuan.
Will the influence of Communism spread from there?”
“In those North Western provinces, which
you mention”, replied General Araki, “Communism seems to have more
chances of success than elsewhere. Even those provinces become
Communist, however, the advance of Red influence will be slow, because
the Communists have been meeting reverses at Chiang Kai-shek’s hands”.
“What can Japan do to help China to
overcome Communism?”
“In the works of Bessedovski, the author
states that the shortest cut to Bolshevism in China would be to help
Chiang Kai-shek to unify China. When he had accomplished this, young
Communists should be instigated to rise against Chiang Kai-shek and
drive him from power. In such a way unified China would be brought
under Communist direction. The most effective way for Japan to prevent
China from coming under Soviet influence would be to deal directly with
the Soviets, point out to the Soviets the stupidity of such an action
and persuade the Soviet Authorities from embarking upon such an
undertaking. To send armed forces into China to counteract the Soviet
agents would be most foolish.
“Chiang Kai-shek, I must add was too
clever for the Bolsheviks. With their help he built up power and when
he had reached success he suppressed the Chinese Communists.
“At present the Soviet Government seems
to be concentrating its efforts on Sinkiang and Mongolia and is
pursuing a milder policy towards Japan”.
I asked him then: “Is a struggle
inevitable between Japan and the Soviet Union?”
“It all depends on the attitude of the
other side”, answered the General, but I found it difficult to continue
this line of conversation, for he was anxious to talk about the unity of
the Third International and the Soviet Government. I wished to leave
this subject, which is now largely academic and come to actualities and
I asked:
“What is the truth about the probable
effects of Soviet air attacks upon Japan? I hear two points of view,
the first, that the Soviets would be able to deal a fatal blow at
Japan’s great cities and the second, that its effects would be small”.
“If we were taken by surprise, there
would be some danger but if we are well informed beforehand we can take
defensive measures”.
“How great do you estimate the Soviet
air force near Vladivostok to be?”
“There are no accurate reports but there
are probably about 500 planes”.
“And their quality, General Araki?”
“The quality is very varied, old and
new, badly constructed and well constructed. The Russians, however, are
resourceful. Sometimes they use scouting planes as bombs.”
“What would Japan do to counter-act the
growing Soviet influence in Inner Mongolia?”
“It is futile to help the Chines against
the encroachment of Soviet influence. The only way is to take up the
issue with the Soviet authorities.”
I braved the Tiger and said: “They would
immediately deny with indignation that they had ever attempted to
penetrate with their influence into Inner Mongolia,” but General Araki
did not like to be pointed out this and a slight almost unnoticeable
flicker of disapproval passed across his face.
“What ideals would you advocate – Asia
which would be more fitting than Communism? Pan-Asianism. If it were
cultural, I should support.
“However , we must co-operate with
China. It will be more easily said than done. It will be very difficult
to carry this out.”
“Why is apart of he Army opposed to the
policy of co-operation?”
The former War Minister denied this
emphatically, although it was common knowledge throughout Tokyo.
“Do you agree with the views expressed
in the Army pamphlet – the State Socialistic views?”
“Not with the socialisation of industry.
I admit that some industries would perhaps be more efficient if they
were nationalised but it is the spirit and not the form that is
important.
“It is always upon the spirit that I lay
stress. The world should know more about our spirit, for the world has
tended to ignore Asiatic civilisation. I am firmly convinced that the
fundamentals of Asiatic civilisation are just as good as the European.
Thus you see I am for a cultural Pan-Asianism, but if it is political it
is narrow-mindedness and I denounce it. Unless all the peoples of the
world get together, disaster will befall humanity. May the 20th
Century be the century of transition from national separation to
international harmony”.
It is not these last sentiments,
however, that attract many of the young Nationalist to the personality
of Araki and that cause political observers to forecast his leadership
of the nation if there is a period of stress.
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