Historical Background

 Gareth’s travels in the Far East and in particular his visit to Japan must be seen in the context of the social mores and the political history of the 1930s.  The intrigues of the Japanese and their Emperor Hirohito are difficult to comprehend at the beginning of the 21st century.  Our culture at that time was so different.  The East has its fascination and it is not surprising that Gareth was captivated by it.  It stimulated his enquiring mind to ask so many questions and I feel that his tremendous zeal and enthusiasm carried him away.  He came from a Welsh Non-Conformist family and from his father came to believe that all men were good.  To quote the letter of condolence to Major Edgar Jones from Mr R Barrett of the The Critic in Hong Kong:

 There is no doubt that Gareth was in deep waters, for the swirl of Far Eastern politics is more ruthless and treacherous than anything conceivable in the West, more a mixture of petty interests of money and ‘face’ with the enormous clash of national interests.  They knew what he had discovered in Russia and they knew what he had found out in the East.

 According to the eminent historian, David Bergamini, behind the Emperor Hirohito’s pretence of virtue and innocence was a devious man.  From the early 1920s when he was Crown Prince, he wished not only to rid Asia of the Western influence:  “Asia for the Asiatics”, but was also contriving to build a Japanese Empire.  Gareth was not to know, or suspect at the time, of the intrigues, the ruthless assassination of those who deviated from the path or opposed the plan of expansion, nor of the orchestration of incidents in China with a view to eventual domination and colonisation of that country.  The Japanese history of the period runs red with a cruelty.  Gareth was thoroughly informed about the news of the time, but most probably unaware of the merciless side of the Japanese Government.  Though he asked penetrating questions, he must have been unaware of their sensitive nature when directed towards a government that had something to hide.  Those ministers, or ex-ministers, he interviewed do not seem to be as culpable as some were, but they were responsible to their Emperor.