Book Reviews : The Politics of Ceylon (Sri Lanka). By ROBERT N. KEARNEY. (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1973. Pp. 249. $13.50.)

• Author: William L. Richter
• DOI: 10.1177/106591297402700433
• Published date: 01 December 1974
• Date: 01 December 1974
• Subject Matter: Articles

765

data

in

a

succinct

manner,

although

there

is

no

attempt

made

to

analyze

the

data

in

any

quantitative

way.

His

findings

reveal

no

surprises,

e.g.

(1)

There

is

nothing

unique

about

Japa-

nese

agreements

with

other

nations.

(2)

Japanese

scholars

of

treaties

interpret

Western

concepts

of

treaties

but

do

not

innovate

any

new

theories.

Even

if

the

contents

and

patterns

of

Japanese

treaties

are

not

unusual,

the

process

and

style

of

treaty-making

may

be

different

from

the

practice

of

Western

nations.

Treaties

reflect

the

course

of

events

that

characterize

the

growth

of

Japan

as

a

nation

state,

following

the

signing

of

the

Peace

Treaty

in

1951.

I

would

agree

with

the

author

that

the

political

treaties

and

agreements

of

Japan

have

not

result-

ed

in

increased

political

influence,

although

treaties

and

agreements

can

be

used

as

a

means

to

obtain

political

influence

in

the

future.

However,

I

would

disagree

with

the

author’s

contention

that

the

question

remaining

is,

&dquo;Is

Japan

politically

oriented

or

will

economic

influence

be

[the]

ultimate

objective

which

Japan

can

at-

tain ?&dquo;

The

question

should

read,

&dquo;Will

Japan

be

able

to

learn

to

play

the

game

of

international

politics

in

such

a

way

that

she

can

adequately

deal

with

foreign

countries?&dquo;

Statements

have

been

made

by

many

politicians,

such

as

Secretary

Hashimoto

of

the

Liberal

Democratic

party,

that

Japan

should

achieve

political

status

commensurate

with

her

economic

status.

The

book

is

of

use

to

historians

as

well

as

to

political

scientists

interested

in

Japan.

The

author

ought

to

be

congratulated

for

filling

a

vacuum.

As

to

the

question

of

where

to

go

from

here,

I

am

in

complete

agreement

with

the

author’s

suggestion

to

start

a

joint

work

with

Japanese

scholars

interested

in

treaties

and

agreements.

University

of

Hawaii

YASUMASA

KURODA

The

Politics

of

Ceylon

(Sri

Lanka).

By

ROBERT

N.

KEARNEY.

(Ithaca:

Cornell

University

Press,

1973.

Pp.

249.

$13.50.)

With

the

adoption

of

a

new

Constitution

in

1972,

the

former

Dominion

of

Ceylon

became

the

Republic

of

Sri

Lanka.

Like

neighboring

India,

this

country

combines

a

highly

developed

political

system

with

continuing

problems

of

economic

stagnation,

cultural

conflict,

and

occasional

violent

disruption.

Unlike

India,

Sri

Lanka’s

small

population

(13

million)

has

resulted

not

only

in

more

pervasive

and

intensive

manifestations

of

these

and

other

political

phenomena,

but

also

has

contributed

to

the

relative

lack

of

attention

South

Asian

scholars

have

given

to

Sri

Lanka.

Robert

I~earney’s

text

is

the

first

full-fledged

treatment

of

contemporary

Ceylonese

politics

to

be

published

in

the

United

States

in

more

than

a

decade.

The

book

is

well-timed

to

give

good

coverage

to

such

recent

developments

as

the

landslide

United

Front

electoral

victory

in

1970,

the

April

revolt

in

1971,

and

the

operation

of the

1972

Republican

Constitution.

This

is

the

fourth

volume

in

a

series

on

South

Asian

Political

Systems,

edited

by

Richard

Park.

The

series

quite

commendably

has

begun

with

the

smaller