SMASH & GRAB

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 February 1942, Page 3

SMASH & GRAB

JAPAN’S TALK OF CO-PROSPERITY The cynic who said that words were given us in order that we might conceal our thoughts drew an inadequate picture of their function. Words were also created, it would seem, in order that we might at least endeavour to disguise our deeds—and nothing more remarkable in that direction has ever been done than the Japanese coining of the phrase “national policy of establishing an East Asian co-prosperity sphere” in order to describe the smash-and-grab raid which they have in mind for the Far East and from which they are held back only by the fear that the grab may fail and that the smash may be their own. Just think of it! —for more than four years they have been ravaging China in the course of what they still call an “incident,” spreading ruin and destruction over thousands of miles. In so doing they have created nothing but “scorched earth” and casualties in China and at home they have piled up for themselves debt and taxation which is now to be heavily increased. These are, the results which they present to the world as a first instalment of “co-prosperity,” and they calmly claim that it is their inalienable national privilege to spread those results over a still larger area of the earth’s surface. They have far surpassed the conquerors who made a solitude and called it peace. Grinning hopefully at its own superlative cunning, official Japan makes a desolation and calls it “co-prosperity.” — “Manchester Guardian.”

Such of the cable news on this page as Is so headed has appeared in “The Times.” and is cabled to Australia and New Zealand by special permission. It should be understood Times” unless expressly stated to be so.