THE PACIFIC BASIN

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 13, 6 February 1942, Page 5

THE PACIFIC BASIN

OUT OF THIS WAR

"What is coming out of this war —in every way save one—is beyond the eye of man to see. But one thing that is coming fast and inexorably is quite obvious, if you will look now. And it is immense. We Americans —though anti-imperialist in temper and intention —are having an empire dumped in cur laps. It is an empire larger, richer in potentialities, than all the realm bounded by "Mein Kampf." r ihe EVnpire of the Pacific. We are not asking for it. Yet here we are, listening to.the pleas of the contrite Dr Moncado to keep his Philippines for ever. We are going thousands of miles beyond the Philippines into yet richer fields, making ourselves responsible for the status; quo of the Dutch East Indies, the defence of Malaya, and the maintenance of the Burmese Open Door Into China. The great event must not b& over-sim-plificd. Its significance is in 'the inevitability of the process. It is real life rather than Realpolitik. America is not taking over the British and Dutch Elmpires as such, nor are wc engaged in a positive and purposeful empire-building effort. But we are doing something equally historical. While pretty certain that Japan's New Order is not being Jmilt, we have failed to ltote the extent to which our own order is being established. We are saving the Pacific Basin from the cruder sort of- em-pire-building by others, and in doing it are setting up an American Protectorate." —Mr Upton Close in "American Mercurj\"