The Evening Star MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1940. WHITHER JAPAN?

Evening Star, Issue 23700, 7 October 1940, Page 4

The Evening Star MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1940. WHITHER JAPAN?

Ix Ixis latest reference to the United States the Japanese Prime Minister conveys an invitation and issues a threat to that country. Tho question of peace or war in the Pacific, says Prince Konoyo, depends ou whether the two nations can respect and understand each other's position. If America fails in that matter, he adds, war is inevitable. Prince Konoyo lays down a very simple iplan. Let the United States recognise the leadership of Japan, Germany, and Italy in East Asia and Europe, and in return tho United States will have permission to do as she likes in the Americas. If this disingenuous idea was accepted Japan would proceed to build up the new order in the Far East, which Mr J. L. Garvin aptly described as another name for the old business of despotism, force, conquest, and exploitation, the root of the whole matter is the -desire of the strong to rob and oppress the weak, a policy which Nazi Germany has ruthlessly pursued in the last year. Hitler’s first idea was that Britain might come in and share the loot. The ‘ Deutsche Allgemcine Zeitung ’ recently gave a passing hint of what Berlins conceived, might perhaps have formed the basis of any peace negotiations, remarking: “For the new organisation of Europe and its deienco tho Fuhrer had planned a division of tasks between Germany as a Continental Power and England as an ocean Power.” This revealed Hitler’s ignorance of the British mentality. °lt was Japan that started the policy of grab, with the invasion and subjugation of Manchuria in 1931. When that was accomplished the military clique pressed for further adventures, and the ill-starred campaign in China ■was the result. The new so-called independent State of Manchukuo has been a disappointment to Japan. It was hoped that there would be a large influx of Japanese to the country, but this has not happened, and Tokio has spent huge sums there with comparatively little result. Even more unsatisfactory has been the campaign in China. Although the Japanese still have an array of 1,000,000 in that country, and the war has been waged for three years, the most that can be said is that tho Japanese have occupied rather than conquered North China. The army has garrisoned the larger cities and controls the main lines of communication, but tho extent of that control is still limited. The cost to Japan is enormous. Tokio blundered diplomatically in setting up tho puppet Government at Nanking under Wang Ching-wei. The people as a whole pin their faith on Chiang Kai-shek, believing that if his health will prove equal to the strain he will bring China victoriously through the war and complete the national reconstruction now being carried out by the Government In Chungking.

There is no doubt that Japan is confronted with problems that might well make her hesitate before engaging jn a major war, but the military are in control of tho country, and their successes since Japan emerged from ■ her age-long obscurity have given them a confidence that is misplaced. Britain and America have been exceedingly conciliatory in their relations with Japan. This was illustrated in tho caso of the British Government’s agreement to suspend temporarily the arms traffic along the Burma road, but the present sabre rattling by tho Japanese and various provocative acts show no spirit of reciprocity. It can hardly bo imagined that Japan would go to tho length of engaging in war with Britain or the United States or both, but it cannot be disguised that the truculent attitude that is now revealed is causing a good deal of uneasiness Jest the Japanese military party should decide to go to extremes.