A BY-PASSING THEORY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 48, 11 February 1944, Page 4

A BY-PASSING THEORY

WHAT would have happened if Germany had abstained from attacking Russia ? And what would have happened if Japan had abstained from attacking- United States territory and had confined her attack to the Dutch East Indies and Malaya, and to Australia and New Zealand? This latter question—which opens up just as many speculative possibilities as are inherent in the first questionis discussed by the American correspondent Ira Wolfert, who quotes an American naval authority (unnamed) to the effect that in December, 1941, Japan, instead of attacking Pearl Harbour, might have by-passed all United States territory (including the Philippines) m order to seize Australia and New Zealand. The underlying assumption is that Japan, avoiding her potential enemy (America) on her eastern flank, could have annexed the South Paci fic, including New Zealand and Australia. Had Japan done so, it is argued that America would not, or might not, have intervened. In other words, the influence of the United States isolationists would have been strong enough to prevent the by-passed American Government from making war to prevent the rape of the two British Dominions by the Japanese aggressor. But the same isolationist influence was unequal to preventing American war against Japan after the insult and injury and shock of Pearl Harbour. Wherefore (so the argument runs) Japan's Pearl Harbour blow was "a mortal error." Arguments based on assumptions are generally difficult to prove. It is, however, a legitimate speculation to endeavour to picture a German conqueror trying to annex Europe under the nose of a nonbelligerent Russia, or a Japanese conqueror cleaning up East Asia and the Pacific under the nose of a non-belli-) gerent America. If the policy of Moscow, and the internal politics of the United States, had allowed these *two o-reat steals to happen without the striking of a Russian blow, what would have been the next move? Surely the second move of a German conqueror, and the second move of a Japanese conqueror, would have been against the nonbelligerent States themselves —that is, against Russia and America. Nevertheless, some people do seem to be of the opinion that the German aggressor could have raped Europe, and that Japan ..could have raped Oceania and Asia, without first removing their flanking enemies, Russia and America. Did Hitler hold that opinion? Evidently not; if he had, why should he have attacked Russia in 1941 ? As to Japan, if she had felt at liberty to steal half the world under America's helpless nose, would she have opened the proceedings, in December, 1941, by attacking Pearl Harbour and the Philippines? The validity of thei by-passing theory may never be proved or disproved. But how little Hitler and To jo trusted it their own aggressive actions attest.