Wairarapa Times-Age MONDAY, JULY 14, 1941. SOMEWHAT AT A LOSS.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 July 1941, Page 4

Wairarapa Times-Age MONDAY, JULY 14, 1941. SOMEWHAT AT A LOSS.

j.\NGER and bewilderment in something like equal measure continue Io mark the utterances and outpourings ol' the Japanese Press on the subject of recent and current war developments. There have been portentous but unelaborated warnings of what may happen if the United States undertakes to ship war supplies for Russia to Vladivostok and one newspaper, the “Nichi Nichi Shimbun,” has even found cause lor strong offence in the American occupation of Iceland. It deciares’ that President Roosevelt’s explanation of that, action is “preposterous.” Since it can hardly be supposed that the occupation ol: Iceland is of much direct concern Io anyone in Japan, it is likely that what is really,' giving concern, to the “Nichi Nichi Shimbun” and other representatives of Japanese governing opinion is the positive additional evidence now afforded that the United States is determined to take vigorous action, where that is necessary, to forestall aggression. It has to be admitted that the presentation of this evidence cannot be expected Io convey much comfort to Japan. For the time being, at least, the German onslaught on Russian lias created new problems and difficulties for the men who are leading Japan in a policy of predatory aggression. If Germany had prospects of gaining a speedy and decisive victory on the Eastern front, the Japanese Government no doubt would be willing both to collaborate with the Nazis and to pursue its own predatory designs. The outlook for the Germans in their Eastern venture is, however, at least, uncertain and ibis tends more than ever to cast the Japanese militarists into a quandai\. Short of some overwhelming disaster in Europe, Russia will continue to be a power to lie reckoned with in the Dai East. Russian diplomats in Washington are reported to have stated recently that their country has in the Vladivostok and Siberian area, an autonomous army of approximately hall a. million men, with its own munition supply centres. Russia has long been supplying munitions to China, and late developments have brought her into a much closer relationship with China, and with the English-speaking democracies. Other considerations apart, Britain, the United States and Russia, are in a position to add enormously to Japan’s burdens and difficulties by increasing as much as possible the assistance they are now giving to China. There are other ways in which any extension of aggression by Japan might be penalised. It has long been commented on as remarkable, for instance, that Japan is still being p< imitted to import huge quantities of fuel and other oil from the United States and from other sources under American or British control. Supplies to Japan ol a number of war materials othci than oil have been cut off by the United Slates, and no doubt also by the British Empire, for some time past. For instance no copper has been exported to Japan from the United States since early in February last and an embargo applies also to machine tools, aluminium and iron and steel scrap. On the other hand large supplies of oil—one of the most vital of war materials —continue to find their way to Japan from sources under both British and American contiol. According to a Washington correspondent of the “Christian Science. Monitor,” British companies in the East Indies are furnishing Japan with approximately 40 per cent of her petroleum imports, and that Japan is experiencing no difficulty as yet in purchasing American petroleum is seen in United States Commerce Department figures, which show that whereas the United States exported 1,491,000 barrels of. petroleum to Japan in January last, and 1.279,000 barrels in February, it expoited 1,558,000 barrels in March. Only a few days ago it was reported that four Japanese vessels, including two naval tankers, were to take 400,000 barrels of oil from Los Angeles last week. Whether the existing Anglo-American policy in regard to oil supplies lor Japan is capable of being justified—taking account of the policy of aggressive, if uncertain, opportunism now being pursued by the Konoye Government —seems to be rather an open question. Ihe continued shipment of oil to Japan, much ol it to be used against China, is being criticised to an increasing extent in the United States. It has been argued that the stoppage of these shipments might in itself impel Japan into new acts ol aggression, but the present position presumably is that she is building up considerable reserves of oil.