Manawatu Evening Standard. MONDAY, AUG. 16, 1937. CHINA AND JAPAN.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 219, 16 August 1937, Page 6

Manawatu Evening Standard. MONDAY, AUG. 16, 1937. CHINA AND JAPAN.

The scene of acute tension -in China has changed suddenly to the south to Shanghai, where the “murder” of two Japanese officers, as the authorities at Tokio prefer to call an incident in which there is still a considerable element of doubt as to what actually did occur, has had serious repercussions. The two Japanese, it is clear, sought to force an entrance to the Chinese aerodrome, and on being refused—a right which the Chinese authorities surely possessed—shots were exchanged and the Japanese were killed, but not by the guards, militiamen who had appeared on the scene being responsible. The occurrence following the warfare in North China, which has resulted in Japanese dominion over the provinces of Hopei and Chahar, has brought a large number of warships to Shanghai and the city , has been heavily shelled. Though no formal declaration of war has been made by either side, there has been considerable fighting in the north and clashes have also taken place near Shanghai. While Japan declares that she is invoking the right of self-de-fence, China retorts that she has no alternative but to act in selfdefence and to resist aggression. In these circumstances more bitter fighting may be expected unless the differences can be composed. But while Jqpan forces the hands of China it seems most unlikely that reason will take the place of force. The London Times states that the Japanese policy is one of “smash and grab” and events in North China give emphasis to this view. The same may yet be said of the serious operations around Shanghai which was the scene of very bitter fighting in the warfare of a few years ago. China is convinced that Japan’s policy is to dominate Shanghai, her richest port, from whence flow the products of the wealthy hinterland to all parts of the world. With Shanghai dominated, Nanking, which has now been bombed, would be at the mercy of militaristic Japan, the huge areas drained by the Yang-tse-kiang which Japan covets would very quickly be brought under her control, and the country’s economic life would be most seriously imperilled. The qiiestion is, how far will the Nanking Government go in trying to placate its almost inveterate enemy and menace to its sovereignty? Chiang Kai-shek, it is wellknown, has built up a powerful army of well trained and patriotic troops, a division of which lias been despatched to Shanghai, while he has other though not so well trained armies which would be of considerable value in guerrilla warfare. But even these forces could hardly prevail

against tlie war macliine tliat Japan can place in the field, and further fighting would have the end that was inevitable in North China. The Japanese -Government has claimed at various times that it is China’s co-operation and not her enmity that is desired, and that it has no territorial ambitions in North China, but in Japan there are two voices —the statesman’s whose aim is peaceful trading and the militarist’s whose lust for power sees in every little “incident” another excuse for grabbing more Chinese territory. Even though Japan has huge interests at stake in the north their protection need not always depend upon armed force. Whether the situation at Shanghai will get completely out of hand may _ depend wholly upon world opinion, for there are important interests in that big city which Japan cannot ignore, and which have been ruthlessly assailed in the bombardment that has taken place.