JAPAN AND THE AXIS.

Evening Star, Issue 23693, 28 September 1940, Page 10

JAPAN AND THE AXIS.

At the first glance on reading tile announcement that Germany, Italy, and Japan have signed a military, commercial, and economic pact it might be inferred that some new development unfavourable to Britain had occurred. There is no need for pessimism over this arrangement. It has only brought to tho surface what existed underground. That is to say, it was known that if mutual advantages could be gained by making a demonstration of unity such a course would be followed by tho three Powers mentioned. The war is not going well for Germany and Italy, so that it will occasion no surprise if Berlin and Rome, in order to keep up the flagging spirits of their people, hail the arrangement as a great accomplishment. That is the only apparent immediate advantage to the Axis, while if the United States accepts the obvious warning from Tokio to keep outside the struggle Japan will regard that as a gain. Tho kernel of the pact is that each of the contracting States will give assistance to the other if it is attacked by a Power not at present engaged in tho wars 'in China and Europe. In the face of that limitation not much practical help in the circum-

stances of the moment can be given by Berlin and Romo to Japan, and the same thing applies to Tokio in its relations with the two Western States. The grandiloquent statement is made that Japan will recognise the leadership of Germany and Italy in Europe and Italy and Germany will recognise the leadership of Japan in Asia. That does not take the position very far, nor is it advanced by the boastful absurdities in the comments of von Ribbentrop. There is no doubt that Japan is greatly chagrined at the actions of President Roosevelt and his Administration, particularly in banning the export of oil from the United States some time ago and now in adopting a similar course in the case of iron and steel scrap. These commodities are essential to the Japanese in time of peace, and if they were unable to obtain them under war conditions the result would be disastrous. With the American market closed to them there are few opportunities of obtaining supplies. Japan is deeply involved in the war with China, which has made a tremendous drain on her resources, and to say the least, it would be extremely embarrassing to her to be drawn into a major conflict. The course of the war in Europe has' 1 shown the folly of making predictions. Unexpected events occur with startling rapidity. But so far as Japan is concerned her interests seem to lie in .keeping outside the struggle. The prosecution of the campaign in China and peaceful penetration southward appear to be her immediate aim. A Tokio newspaper says that a clash between Japan and America seems inevitable, but that ventures into the realm of prophecy.