JAPAN AND THE "IRREPRESSIBLE EXPANSION" DOCTRINE
sent that the territorial integrity and autonomy of China shall be respected, PROVIDED (to quote one important newspaper) that Japan "will be guaranteed access to materials which are essential to her economic development and living needs."
The truth of course is that Japan has now and always has had full "access" to the products of China on an equal basis with all other nations, in the accepted sense of international law and commerce. Japan's "access" in that sense is assured by the Open-Door, and will be safeguarded by the genuine observation by all nations of the Open-Door. The extent to which the natural resources and products of China can be utilized by Japan will, or ought to, depend on the extent they can be diverted to Japan by legitimate economic processes. If Japan needs and wants, for instance, iron ore and iron products, or coal, or oil, from China, and needs them more than other nations need them, under the Open-Door they can be attracted to Japan by the simple process of paying a slightly higher price than is offered elsewhere. Taking into consideration the geographical proximity of Japan to China and the closeness of the two countries as to economic levels in comparison with Western countries, the usual case will be that Japan can overbid other nations for the products of China and still have sufficient economic "margin" to make the transaction profitable to Japan. This is what Secretary of State Hughes probably had in mind when he referred to the advantages which Japan's position "on the threshold" of China gives to Japan under the Open-Door.
It is obvious that to grant such a "guarantee" to Japan is to give Japan a SPECIAL ACCESS and vested right in the natural resources and products of China: which plainly is a NEGATION OF THE OPEN DOOR.
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