The establishment of a Japanese consulate in Palestine, the possibilities for settlement of the German Jewish refugees in Manchukuo and the attitude of the Japanese government for the establishment of such a settlement, were among the subjects of Dr. Y. Sugimura, Japanese statesman, discussed in an interview.
The former Under Secretary-General of the League of Nations talked with an easy flow of language which was candid about matters concerning world Jewry. He denied that anti-Semitism is one of the qualities of the Japanese national character.
“I must say that when I returned to Japan last May, I found some change in the attitude of my people towards Jewry. The latter were blamed for hampering Japanese interests in Geneva, and I naturally felt it my duty to discredit such allegations.”
Asked what the League of Nations had done, if anything, on the question of helping the Jewish people to create a national homeland in Palestine, Dr. Sugimura said:
“As you know, I left Geneva last April, and prior to that, Zionism, or the Jewish question, was often discussed in a spirit designed to assist the Jews in their strivings.
“There is not the slightest intention of wavering in the matter, and I believe the future must to a great extent be governed by Jewish relations with Arabs. The former must cultivate friendlier relations with the Arabs. In this way can they accelerate the tempo of their advance toward the national goal. You know very well that Japan has shown much sympathy with the Jewish national aspirations and would like to see the Zionist ideal a reality.”
Regarding the possibility of establishing a consulate in Palestine by Japan, the speaker said:
“I think that in the course of time this will come about. If there is quick development of Palestine, something which is to be expected if we judge by past performance, the matter will be facilitated.
“The Levant fair in Tel Aviv next year will attract a number of merchants to make investments in the Holy Land. There is also the possibility of return visits being made by Hebrew and Japanese scholars as well as business men, something which will certainly help in establishing friendly relations between the two countries.”
Of the plan to settle Manchukuo as a haven for the Jews, the speaker said that the matter should be studied since it is promising from every angle.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
