JAPAN IN DIFFICULTIES.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 August 1939, Page 4

JAPAN IN DIFFICULTIES.

suggestion of any fundamental change in -Japanese policy appears to be implied in the formation of a new Cabinet under the Premiership of General Nobnyuki Abe. The principal task of the new Ministry presumably will be to make good as far as possible what has been lost in the lailure ol Baron Hirannma. and his colleagues ol the retiring Cabinet to establish an advantageous relationship with the Axis Powers. As it. bears upon the Far Eastern situation, however, the Soviet-German Pact, provided it is ratified, clearly will tell heavily against Japan and bring some corresponding relief to China and to the European Powers upon whose interests -Japan has been trampling so ruthlessly in the Chinese coastal zone. With her commitments in the invasion of China increasing rather than diminishing. -Japan is faced now by the prospect ol having to cope also with an unhampered linssia. The outlook thus opened cannot be called at all promising from the -Japanese standpoint. Prior to tin 1 announcement of the Soviet-German Pact, it had been reported that -Japan was already withdrawing troops from China and sending them north to Outer Mongolia, where an undeclared Soviet-Japanese war is raging. In a recent article in thi' “Svdney Morning .Herald,” Professor S. 11. Roberts observed that :

All told, the Japanese are sorely pressed. They have lost a million men killed or wounded, but they still have to garrison 650.000 square miles and suffer guerilla raids in the twelve provinces they have occupied. They are fighting a frontier war with Russia, a diplomatic war with Britain and an economic war with most of the world. Nearly half the populatition of Japan works in factories converting imported raw materials into consumers’ goods for the world markets. Japan is fighting to get those raw materials and to keep the foreign markets, and quite as difficult, she is using every man in her Government service to repress the "dangerous ideas’ which are spreading amongst her working people. Her exports fell last year by 35 per cent.; she had to make drastic cuts in her imports of raw materials; and she has sent away most of her gold.

/I'he stale of affairs thus disclosed is calculated to put new heart into China’s resistance to invasion and to encourage the European Powers to lake a stronger stand in defence of their rights in the treaty ports. Should, the conflict with Kussia be extended and enlarged.-Japan will be in an extremely dangerous position. It. is a question, indeed, whether the way is not being opened to rar-reaching developments in the Far East which will be of vital concern number of nations, not'least our own.