Wairarapa Times-Age THURSDAY, JANUARY 2, 1941. SECURITY IN THE PACIFIC.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 January 1941, Page 4

Wairarapa Times-Age THURSDAY, JANUARY 2, 1941. SECURITY IN THE PACIFIC.

— IT has been observed justly by the Prime Minister (Mr Fraser) that we in New Zealand have particular cause to be thankful for the American policy defined by President Roosevelt in his broadcast address last Sunday evening. His words provide a powerful contribution towards our own security in the Pacific (Mr Fraser added* and enable us, with full confidence, to concentrate our whole energies upon the struggle in the main theatres of war. These observations find their justification in the fact that Alt Roosevelt applied as definitely to the Pacific as to the Atlantic his contention that the fate of the United States was linked with that of the nations now engaged in conflict with the Axis and Japan. He said, in part : — At this moment the forces of the States leagued against peoples living in freedom are being held away from our shores. The Italians and the Germans are blocked on the other side of the Atlantic by the British and the Greeks and thousands of soldiers and sailors who have been able to escape from the subjugated countries. The Japanese are being engaged in Asia by the Chinese in another great defence. In the Pacific is our fleet. To this Mr Roosevelt added that it was a matter of the most vital concern for the I nited Stilles that the European and Asiatic warmakers should not gain control of the oceans leading to its hemisphere. This declaration no doubt will be accepted by all concerned as implying that if eJapan attempts to engage in a career of extended aggression in the Pacific, it will not he loft to tin* countries of the British Empire alone to oppose her, with the Uniled States looking on. Japan, if she is wisely guided, will give full heed to the President's words, and not least to his observation: “In the Pacific is our fleet.’ Heavy as are the denmnds now being made on the Royal Navy, Britain lias made it clear, by the reinforcement and strengthening of her defences at Singapore and in the Far East, and in other ways, that she has no thought of submitting tamely to Japanese aggression or to demands hacked by the threat of aggression. The outlook from the point of view of the English-speaking nations and China is made immensely better, however, by the assurance lhat the I’nited Slates is as little inclined to allow warmakers to gain control of the Pacific approaches to her hemisphere as to allow a similar thing to happen in the Atlantic. In the British Empire, and not least in its southern Dominions, ns in the I'nited States, a genuine desire exists that peace should be maintained in tin* I’acifie. So much the more on that account, al! parts of the Empire, and especially Australia ami New Zealand, will be glad to believe that il -Japan attempts to engage in the southward aggression id' which so much has beeji heard of late she will find hersel! laced by the united opposition «*l’ the English speaking nations. It is. of course, only in avcordaiicc with good sense that these nations should make common cause against a disturbance of the peace in the P.u-itic, With Britain heavily engaged and involved in Europe and elsewhere, the Empire obviously is not as well placed as it might be to cope with a .1 apanese navfd attack should it develop. Were the American Fleel eo-operat-me with the Hoy;d Navy, however, and extending its sphere ot operations from Hawaii to Singapore, and if need be to the South Pacific Dominions, the position would be decisively reversed. Japan would then have every prospect oi finding her self involved to her undoing in powerful bonds, both military and eeonomie. Many observers of Japan and Japanese policy have ad milted of late some uncertainty as to the course she is hk<dy t*> adopt The Shanghai correspondent of the London " Daily Telegraph'' expressed the opinion recently lhat:— No amount of non-inilitary pressure will deflect '.he Jupime-n' from their ultimate aims, though it is apparent that Amvric.iri economic and political pressure has already produced positive results. It has greatly slowed up Japan's productive capacity, and has helped to dislocate her economic system It idso has certainly impeded or delayed her advance southward There alway-: the danger that economic pressure might precipitate a Japanese invasion of the Dutch East Indie-- This would become a probability should the Dutch East Indie and British Malaya shut ■'! Japan's supplies of oil and iron ore Tile c ■ -nvirte-n r grow ng •; Japan lhat the life or death of J.iprm depend- « • G« rro.w victory m Europe. For flic salic of all concerned, and perhaps not leasi .’or the sake of Japan, it must be hoped that ibis correspondent is over estimating the likelihood That Japan will go to war in further am-.- ..f the exparisjon>st anils <•’ h.-r militarists. Account Im to be taken in anv ease the tact that th-- l Jilted States am! I'.ritiiin between them iambi. almo-t at .■ stroke, v. reek ,h-.pan s cei.noniie ’if, Moren-i-r, sugees! ions tlial the whom Japanese nation is unitedly intent <m a war of a'.'-.Tess mil arc deimmd'y u m-otlvim-ipy I.do- mher r<-;'i>m-' its ’ami, :m- pre ;• J.ip.ilies.' il. ern.’m-ji' ;s abh- to mam'am ;md p-.-r ■’ ■ • fijrlv bv th'- forcible -empress;. >< of verv eonsiderahb l sect phis of Japanese opium:’.