JAPAN FACING EMERGENCY

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21222, 19 September 1940, Page 6

JAPAN FACING EMERGENCY

Belief that the war between China and Japan may reach a climax in the next few weeks is expressed by well-informed people at Hong Kong. They declare that Japan is facing serious internal difficulties owing to economic exhaustion and that success in the war is necessary to strengthen the morale of the people. Winter is approaching and the prospect of stagnation through another long period of cold and suffering is causing alarm among the Japanese people. At the same time China seems to be no nearer collapse. Japan is expected to attack heavily in the near future, and if the attack again fails the position may become very serious. Confirmation of this opinion from Hong Kong is given by the Japanese Prime Minister, Prince Konoye. “ I think Japan’s position will become increasingly serious in the near future,” he said. “ For this reason Japan’s 100,000,000 people must act as one in an effort to surmount this national emergency.” The emergency is, of course, of Japan’s own making, and it could have been ended long ago; indeed it. need never have arisen. Japan has been struggling desperately for three years towards an objective that is still almost as far away as ever, in spite of the terrible slaughter and damage caused in China. There is every reason to believe that Japan will now make a reckless attempt to put an end to this slow strangulation. From Japan’s point of view the China war is tragic. She has a vast programme of expansion in view, and yet her ability to proceed is being steadily sapped away by the Chinese, who refuse to admit or accept defeat. Chiang Kai-shek still declares that China is unconquerable, and it is known that he still has vast reserves of men to meet the invaders. How far the closing of the Burma road has affected his supply position is not known, but he is still steadfastly blocking the way to the realisation of Japan’s ambitions. Incidentally, the period of three months during which Britain agreed to the closing of the Burma road will soon expire, and it must be supposed that the subject will be reopened in the near future. Possibly by that time Japan will know whether the war with China has to drag on through another exhausting winter.