62 THE ASSASSIN'S SHADOW LIES ACROSS JAPAN

there is nothing to add to the attitude of the present administration
which has repeatedly been made perfectly clear.

With this preface I am always willing to say that in my personal
opinion I cannot see the League or anyone else applying active
sanctions under Article XVI (in connection with the Manchukuo
issue), and while the smaller powers who have nothing to lose are
inclined to regard the prestige of the League as more important than
any other consideration, I do not believe that the powers who have
interests in the Far East will readily let matters get to that stage.
I therefore do not believe that the League will go beyond moral
sanctions.

The Japanese love nothing so much as allegedly heroic fighting
against overwhelming odds ; coercive measures would weld them
together even more completely than they are welded now, and it is
doubtful if any action which the nations would be willing to take
would ever smoke them out. I have also doubted whether Japan
would withdraw from the League. The military and the chauvinists
want to withdraw now, but the liberals are fighting hard against it.
Shidehara went down to see Prince Saionji, the last Genro or Elder
Statesman, to-day. Weillschott assures me that he went to pledge

his support of the Government in any steps it might take, but-----

told me definitely that he went, as I supposed, to plead against leaving
the League. Others are working hard too.

Of course I may be proved to be wrong, because one can never be
sure of the strength of the military; but withdrawal from the League
would first have to be approved by the cabinet, the Privy Council,
and the Emperor, and with such outstanding men as Saito, Takahashi,
and Makino fighting against it, as I know they are, the step will at
least not be taken without counting the cost. Whatever the views
of my colleagues, they all agree that coercive measures would be
attended by the utmost danger to world peace.

JAPANESE TRAFFIC REGULATIONS

February 15, 1933

There being nothing further to report to-day, I take refuge in the
following " Rules of the Road in English " as allegedly posted in the
Central Police Station in Tokyo :

1. At the rise of the hand policeman, stop rapidly.

2. Do not pass him by or otherwise disrespect him.

3. When a passenger of the foot heave in sight, tootle the horn.
Trumpet at him. Melodiously at first, but if he still obstacles your
passage, tootle him with vigour, express by word of mouth the
warning " Hi Hi."

4. Beware the wandering horse that he shall not take fright as
you pass him by. Do not explode the exhaust box at him as you
pass him by. Go soothingly by.