<論説>満州事変と日英関係

Abstract

本稿では、満州事変に際しての日本、イギリス、国際連盟それぞれの対応を特にその対中国政策との関連において解明し、日本の連盟脱退の過程について再検討する。日本と連盟が満州国承認問題をめぐって対立を深めていったことはよく知られているが、日本とイギリスは共に、中国の混乱した政治情勢に照らし、むしろ連盟が中国問題に介入することの方に疑問を感じていた。これに対しリットン委員会は、満州国を公式に否認する一方、それを改編した形の自治政府を設立し中国国民政府に国際支援を与えるという解決案を提示した。最終的に日本と連盟は満州国承認問題をめぐって決裂し、日本の連盟脱退がもたらされたが、それは公的には日本の「国際的孤立化」という図式を定式化しながら、同時にイギリスにとっては、中国問題に対する連盟の関与を排除し、満州国の存在を実質的に容認するという意味合いの下で受け入れられた。それは、満州事変後の日英が満州国の存在を前提とした関係調整を模索する余地を、残すものでもあった。

This study traces the foreign policies of Japan, Britain and the League of Nations concerning the Manchurian Incident, relates them to their respective China policies, and reconsiders the process of the Japanese withdrawal from the League of Nations from September 1931 to February 1933. Japan and the League of Nations were opposed to each other mainly over the recognition of Manchukuo, while Japan and Britain, in consideration of the confused and complicated situation in China, were rather sceptic about the discussed League of Nations' intervention in Chinese affairs. In October 1932, the Lytton Commission officially denied sovereignty to Manchukuo, and suggested at the same time a plan for an autonomous government in Manchuria under the aegis of several states, which was supposed to lead to a reorganization of Manchukuo to satisfy the conflicting interests. The commission came also up with a plan for granting international support to the Kuomintang government, a plan which involved Japanese cooperation. In February 1933 negotiations between Japan and the League of Nations broke down over the matter of granting recognition to Manchukuo and the League of Nations decided to blame Japan during the final stages of the negotiations. This development led to the official international isolation of Japan, thereby frustrating initial Japanese and British efforts to avert the Japanese withdrawal from the League of Nations. Moreover, it also meant that the proposal of the Lytton Report that the League of Nations should be more actively engaged in Chinese affairs, had also failed. Ultimately, Britain supported the League of Nations' non- recognition of Manchukuo against its own initial intentions. Britain did so in anticipation of the Japanese withdrawal from the League of Nations which in effect meant that the proposals of the Lytton Report concering the political and economic support of the Koumintang government, would come to nothing. At the same time, Britain was prepared to have unofficial relations with Manchukuo anyway.