Wairarapa Times-Age FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1941. TIME FOR A SHOWDOWN.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 November 1941, Page 4

Wairarapa Times-Age FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1941. TIME FOR A SHOWDOWN.

REPORTS from Washington and Tokio agree in promising an early conclusion, of one kind or another, to the AmericanJapanese negotiations. It is stated also, unofficially, that all hopes of a long-term peace agreement between the United States and Japan have been abandoned. According to one Washington correspondent Mr Cordell Hull has turned of late to the idea of a limited settlement. What exactly this would amount to is not indicated, at time of writing, but the visible scope for even a temporary adjustment on these lines is very narrow indeed. A limited settlement might involve, amongst other things, an undertaking by Japan to embark on no new aggression. If however, in making that concession, the Tokio Government insisted on maintaining the present occupation of China and of Indo-China, all the economic measures the A.B.C.D. nations have taken against Japan—measures amounting in their total effect to a blockade of a great part of her trade—presumably would have to stand unchanged. Public opinion in the United States and the British Empire, it may be supposed, will not tolerate, for example, the resumption of oil supplies to Japan until she has given dependable assurances and guarantees of an intention to return to the ways of peace. The difficulties which seem certain to bring the Washington negotiations to a deadlock arise solely from the assertion by the Japanese Government of the right to pursue a policy of predatory aggression. It is because her present rulers wish to be entirely free to subjugate and rob other nations that Japan is faced, as her Prime Minister, General Tojo, has affirmed repeatedly of late, by an unprecedented national emergency. A message received from Washington yesterday stated that it is believed that Japan will not or cannot accept the conditions for a long-term agreement —virtual withdrawal from the mainland of Asia, abandonment of the Axis Pact, and a complete return to the ways of peace—for the reason that: — The present instability of Japanese domestic conditions is believed to be such that the acceptance by any Japanese Govern- ' ment of these conditions would lead to internal revolution. This suggestion may be well founded, but it is of interest chiefly as indicating that the militarist rulers of Japan are very much concerned to maintain their own power, privilege and prestige and very little concerned about the welfare of the people oyer whom they exercise a despotic authority. Internal revolution undoubtedly would bring disaster to these militarists and to their supporters, but that it would be a bad thing for the Japanese masses is by no means clear. It might be for •them an introduction to better and happier days than they have yet known. In any case, much as peace in the Pacific is desired by the English-speaking nations and those associated with them, it may be hoped and believed that there will be no thought of any compromise with Japanese aggression and that instead there will be a united and determined refusal to resort to appeasement in any form in the hope of obtaining either a long-term or a short-term agreement with Japan.