793.94/6920: Telegram
The Minister in China (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 16—8 a.m.]
119. Reference Legation’s 84, February 21, noon, according to a Chinese news agency an address by Sun Fo, President of the Legislative Yuan, on Sino-Japanese relations was broadcasted March 12, in Japan as part of Japanese commemoration of tenth anniversary of the death of his father Sun Yat-sen. During the address, which was more cordial and warmer than recent statements by Wang Ching-wei and Chiang Kai-shek, Sun Fo dwelt on the “enthusiastic assistance [Page 77] and sincere friendship” of Japanese for his father when he was alive, and the present sympathy of many Japanese for his principles; referred to the suffering caused by the encroachment during the past 100 years of Europe and America and the realization during the past 50 years of Japanese and Chinese that this is a period of struggle of the yellow race for existence; and said that close neighbors like Japan and China should join hands, mentioning the similarity of race, language, philosophy, et cetera. Commenting on the fact that the relations of the two countries have frequently been bad notwithstanding their spiritual kinship, he mentions the recent turn for the better in those relations and recommends for its fulfillment observation of Sun Yat-sen’s policy of “Greater Asia”.
The principal significance of Sun’s address seems to be that, believing that relations between China and Japan will become increasingly closer, he thinks it is for the sake of his political future to align himself with the so-called pro-Japanese party.