Just Yet

There Will Be No War In the Pacific Just Yet

situation in the Far East is still * a matter of vital concern to the Territories of the Pacific. It is becoming clear, however, that the present war will not spread beyond China. Great Britain and the United States have been, given far more than sufficient reason to attack the Japanese forces in China; but, while they are doing their best to “save face”, they are displaying a patient determina tion not to fight—just now.

The Japanese are drunk with war ex citement and a belief in their own strength; their attitude towards Great Britain, the United States and France is one of intolerable “cockiness”; and it is certain that, once they have establish ed themseives in China, they will turn avidly westwards towards India and southwards towards the Pacific countries.

In due season, there must be a cruel and bitter war in the Pacific, between the Japanese and the peoples whom they will seek to dispossess; and, the longer it is delayed the costlier it will be. From the Anglo-Saxon viewpoint, the present would have been an opportune time to deal with Japan, while she is deeply involved with China; but Britain has been grotesquely out-manoeuvred in her international re

lationships, with the result that, at pre sent, she dare not transfer forces from Europe to the Far East.

The general situation is clear enough, once we realise that Britain and France are hated by the totalitarian nations.

Britain and France have large colonial territories; and the Fascist nations (Ger many, Italy, and Japan) have none. Any thing that can be done to embarrass and weaken Britain and her ally, France, and open the way to free settlement of their colonial territories by the swarming masses of Germany, Italy, and Japan, will be cheerfully done by the Fascist States.

At one time, Britain and Japan were allies, and the British position in the.

Far East was secure. Then Japan be came a manufacturing nation and a trade rival of Britain, and the two Pow ers got out of sympathy with one an other. Next, a swashbuckling military caste, which believes that British power in Asia and the Pacific is the maim bar rier to the domination of the Pacific by Japan, got control of Japan. Japan seized Manchukuo, and the League of Nations, of which Britain is the main stay, resisted the encroachment. From

then on, it was easy for anti-British in fluences to sneak into Tokio by the back door; and, three months ago. British statesmanship was faced with a coup d'etat. Japan was attacking China, and trampling upon British investments worth over £200,000,000, and throwing out British trade worth incalculably more.

Britain came sharply to attention—and the Japanese just thumbed their noses at her? The reason for Japan’s impu dence was all too plain: Germany and Italy had joined with Japan in a Fascist, anti-British bloc. It was made clear that if Britain interfered in China, Germany and Italy would make trouble in Europe.

That means, that a hostile move by Britain and France would start another world war. It would be Britain, France, and Russia against Germany, Italy, and Japan. The United States might be in it.

The end would be quite in doubt; but this is certain, that the struggle would be beyond description frightful, and Western Civilisation would be destroyed.

British diplomacy is taking the wiser course. It is better to wait. This un natural alliance between Germany and Japan will not endure. There is through out the British Empire a strong and growing belief that colonial territories should be made available to Germany, and the migration of Germans tol British countries encouraged. There will be a closer relationship between British and

Germans. Britain is not greatly con cerned about Italy. That nation is aggres sive and difficult now, but only because Providence gave it a Mussolini. Without Mussolini, the Italians will count for little—and Mussolini, like everyone else, is ageing.

In the very nature of things, Japan wif(l be isolated in Asia. In the north west she will meet Russia: it is inevitable that the Russians and the Japanese will fight again. Southwards of Japan, there will be a combination of Britain, France, and Holland, intent on protecting their territories. In the east, there will be the naval power of the United States.

The Japanese, of course, will try to or

ganise and lead the endless millions of Asia against the Europeans.

The European nations, united, need not fear Asia; but, if the peoples of Western Europe are to be aligned against each other, an Asia directed and led by Japan ese will be a Yellow Peril indeed.

These are the considerations which d|eem to be bearing weight to-day with Britain’s leaders. They have been out witted by the Fascist bloc, but they were wise enough to stay out of the trap which was prepared for them. If Britain had become embroiled in a Far Eastern War. the British Empire might have been saved from dismemberment only by the intervention of the United States—and that is far too undependable a thing.

Time enough to deal with the Japanese situation when Germany has been plac ated and the “Rome - Berlin axis” has been geared to a different plan.

A month ago, Germany was demanding the return of her colonies, and Japan was supporting the demand. Since then, there have been two important develop ments. Japan has announced that, for her part, she has no intention of handing back any colonies to Germany—which ap parently means that the status quo of of the former German territories in the Pacific will not be disturbed. Later, it was announced by several press l agencies, apparently with authority, that Germany was not interested in the return of any of her former 1 territories in the Pacific; but that she did expect presently to re ceive dominion over a slice of Africa— the Cameroons and Togoland being es pecially mentioned.

Among Melbourne company registra tions recently was: Pacific Minerals (New Guinea) Pty. Ltd. Capital, £lO,OOO. Sub scribers, Henry F. J. Ralfe, Alfred E, Miles.