WAR POLICY OF JAPAN

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 31, 20 March 1942, Page 5

WAR POLICY OF JAPAN

CLOSE COLLABORATION WITH AXIS

MAY PROVE DECISIVE FACTOR

The turn of the tide lor Japan is almost imperceptible, nevertheless, it has begun and Japan Avill soon realise it. The Avar policy of Japan has been developed in close collaboration AA r it'h the other Axis PoAvers and especially Germany, tor months that Oriental nation had been secretly preparing for hostilities and amassed a great deal of AA'ar material at considerable national sacrifice and in great secrecy. No one outside the Axis kncAV that Japan possessed such a strong air force as Ave knoAV iioav, or that she possessed such a big reserA r e of fuel oil as is apparently in her possession. Her navy was knoAvn to be strong, for she possessed the third largest naA'y in the world. Her manpoAA*er had been mobilised and trained almost from the start of the war in China, noAV very nearly years ago. Taken all round, Japan Avas powerful enough to begin hostilities, but the mistake she has made is in challenging the mighty democracies of Britain and the United States, says "The Mercantile Gazette of Nc.av Zealand" in an editorial on March 4. No Quarrel Withr Brtiain But what Avas the urge that precipitated Japan in the Avar? She had no actual quarrel wiht Britain. On the contrary as a measure of appeasement Britain closed the Burma Road for three months and thus prevented China from obtaining muchneeded Avar supplies. The urge was really a grand dream, and that dream was repeatedly stated *by Japanese leaders. It has been known as the "Co-prosperity of Asia." British, American and other influences in the Far East were to be Aviped out, and the countries forming the Far East Avere to come under he domination and tutelage of Japan. But some believe that the aspirations of Japan went further, and devetailed with the dreams of Germany and Italy. The Axis PoAvers thought to dominate the Avorld. Germany and Italy were to subjugate Russia, get doAvn through the Caucasus into Asia Minor, and eventually to join up with Japan someAA'here in India. And the plan must have appealed to Japan as bound to succeed. Germany started the offensive against Russia on Sunday, June 22, and Avith successive hammer bloAvs drove the Russians back almost to Moscoav. By the beginning of December, the Germans looked like Avinning aIJ along the line.

Psychological Moment The psychological moment arrived for Japan to do' her part in carrying out the great scheme of the Axis, and so on Sunday, December 7, 1941, the Japanese declared war on Britain and the United States, and began hostilities by attacking Pearl Harbour. But Japan had misjudged the moment for beginning hostilities, for about December 23, 1941, the great Russian war machine began to move and gathered momentum with a strong forward thrust. Germany's position on the eastern front is perilous. Germany has been on the run and is still running, and although there is much talk of a spring offensive, that may be put down to bluff. When.the enemy has to draw upon his reserves of manpower and war material he must be hard pushed. Germany will not Start a spring offensive against Russia, but will be put to a severe and futile attempt to defend herself on the eastern and western fronts, for Britain and her Allies have yet to attack Germany. This change in the outlook for Germany has 1 placed Japan in a quandary. In the three months she has been at war with the Allies she has certainly achieved a great deal, but it has cost her much in manpower and material. Japan cannot replace material for she has not the material and her industrial capacity is not equal to> making good the daily losses. Moreover, the greater part of her able-bodied men must be in the firing line. Her lines of communication stretch from Burma to New Guinea, and those lines must be kept open. Vital Need of Shipping Japan needs a great deal more shipping than she possesses to keep these lines open, and those lines are vulnerable to attack. Already Japan has lost about 120 vessels, wari ships and merchant vessels, and many more since, which cannot be replaced. Her intial successes have (Continued in next column)

been clue to superiority in the air and on the esa, but that is gradually passing from her. She is being held? up in -Burma because she has tt* fight on more equal conditions. Tha air force in Burma is taking a heavy, toll of her forces. Japan's war machine is getting rickety while the* Allies' war machine is just beginning to take shape. We venture to say that during the next few weeks: the tide will have turned Japan. Her dreams of co-prosperity, for Asia were bad dreams. Butf Japan must be published for wantonly disturbing the peace of the Pacific, and no doubt she will get what is coming to her, and so will Germany and Italy. The mills of Go<s* grind slowly but they grind exceedingly small.