SOBER PROPHESY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 05, Issue 84, 29 July 1942, Page 5

SOBER PROPHESY

GERMAN POLITICIANS VIEWS

JAPAN AGAINST THE WORLD

Eight years ago the following article appeared' in the popular Scottish publication 'The Hamilton; Advertiser.' How true are its forecasts to-day our readers ctam arrive at their own respective conclusions after reading its contents. Sorrow and alarm for the politi"cal and economic development of the world liave inspired that famous German politician and author, Georg Gotliein, to write a stirring protest against Japanese policy in the East. Gothein is now 77 years of age, and before the war was very well known in this country, being numbered among the intimate friends of Theodore Barth. In his opinion the outstanding problem of world politics in this ■country lies in Eastern Asia. In this thought-provoking, well informed booklet, "China and Japan" (The "Hamilton Press: Is), he gives grave warning to the people of Europe and America not to allow their great desire for peace to lead them blindly into giving free rein to Japan's peace-disturbing policy in China, and her brutal methods of carrying it out. Peace, Gotham claims ; can ■■only be preserved if one firmly makes up one's mind to an armed opposition to the breaker of the peace.

Japan, in carrying out liar warlike policy in China, is hiding behind the slogan. "Asia lor the Asiatics, meaning simpbs "Asia for the Japanese." She regards Asia as her lawful prey, to be exploited to the tfull. All other countries are to be excluded. Japan has already succeeded in this aim in Korea, Manchuria and Jehol owing to the shortsighted tolerance of Europe and the U.S.A. in permitting this illegal show of force, full of danger, as ii "ivas to their own interests.

But this is not the only menace that Japan offers to the world-. In the sphere of trade she is dumping goods at cut-throat prices to an extent unequalled elsewhere. She is demoralising the markets of the world and dragging down the standard of living of her competitors to that of her own sweated labour. This she can do by employing the most modern machinery and methods of organisation, while at the same time benefitting from the low wages rcouired by Japanese workers.

Gothein's argument is supported by indisputable facts and' figures, and he discusses as an expert the possibilities'of a coalition for war against Japan. He considers, however, that the desired effect could be attained' more simply by a commercial bo3 r cott. Japan's declared policy, recently published in the "Hirota Doctrine of the 18th April, 1934, only goes to emphasise the truth (if Gothein s opinion as expressed in his penetrating booklet. Every politeian, every ndustrialist, every workman who is: interested in the essentials of the Sino-Japanese situation should read "China and Japan."