What Britain Is Facing Alone.

SLOWLY, in the murk and confusion of international politics, we are beginning to see the shape of British policy in the Pacific.

To understand that policy, it is necessary to recognise what appar ently are basic facts, and their re lation to the future safety of British countries in the Pacific. They are:— I.—Japan, under the compulsion of over-population, and directed by a new Fascist-militarist force, has abandoned her former international obligations, and has embarked upon a policy designed to give her ulti mately the mastery of the Pacific. 2.—The Japanese, before hurling their armies upon China, made a pact, apparently embodying the protection of each other’s interests, with Ger many and Italy. 3.—British interests in the Far East, and especially in China, Hong Kong, Malaya and India, are profoundly af fected by Japan’s new policy, and by her attack on China. Japan’s atti tude towards the British in China, and in Asia generally, has become in tolerably insolent and defiant.

4. Britain has suffered Japanese insolence and insults patiently, rather than go to war under conditions planned by Japan. War would have meant that Britain would have had to fight an enemy thousands of miles away, under the threat of attack in Europe by Germany and Italy, while she could get no guarantee of help from the only other powerful fleet in the Pacific—the American. 5. —lt is clear now that the United States will not make common cause with Britain in maintaining the status quo in the Orient. American policy is simply that of keeping Japan on her own side of a line running north and south through the Pacific, westward of Hawaii. That policy ap parently envisages the eventual aban donment of the Philippines. Ameri can interests are being withdrawn from China. It is a policy of peace at any price, framed in deference to American public opinion—-which, in turn, is moulded by the worst informed, noisiest and most sensa tional newspaper press in the world.

The few million Americans capable of

thinking analytically, and looking into the future, are swamped by one hundred million others who are the amazing, ignorant product of “free dom under the eagle”. These people imagine that they can stay safely at home, their future secure, while the other nations destroy themselves, if they have a mind to. 6. —Britain, then, must rely upon her own strength, if she is to hold her great Empire together. Her only de pendable ally is France; and France is being progressively, weakened at home by ceaseless political intrigue and economic decay, and compro mised by her alliance with Russia.

There is the width of the world be tween imperialistic England and crazy, Communist Russia. 7. —Within the last few weeks, Britain has made announcements and taken steps which mean, virtually, that the policy of collective security (League of Nations, etc.) has been abandoned; that British armaments are being built up, literally, at a cost of billions of pounds per annum; and that Britain is determined to have a guaranteed peace with her neighbours in Europe. That is why stiffnecked Anthony Eden (pillar of the League, and enemy of Germany and Italy)

was thrown out of the Foreign Office, and why significant conversations have been taking place between Britain and Germany, and Britain and Italy.

Newspaper “ballyhoo” should not colour our judgment of what has just occurred in Austria. This action by Germany has been regarded by well informed people, for at least five years, as inevitable. The union of the two great Germanic States is a fundamental part of the Nazi plan.

That same plan envisages peace with France and co-operation with Britain.

Only an attack by Germany upon Czecho-Slovakia will endanger Anglo- German relations. * * * * Having got these things into focus, one begins to see British policy.

Britain, with good reason, has asked herself, Why remain absorbed with entangling alliances and vague enmities in Europe, while Japan is over-running Asia and threatening the British Empire in the Pacific?

Britain hopes that in the shortest possible time she will settle all dif ferences with her European neigh bours, and so get her hands clear for a job of work elsewhere.

The settlement of those differences is a matter of supreme concern to residents of the Pacific. It involves the recognition of Italian conquests in Africa, and the transfer of colonial territories to Germany. That there will be a transfer of colonies to Ger many is beyond any doubt—the ques tion is, what territories will be trans ferred. At present, there is no indi cation; but the best-informed opinion holds still to the theory that Ger many will receive a slice of Africa, France comes into the picture at this point, however; and the French have declared, vehemently, that they will not give up any colonial territory for the placation of the Germans.

Having taken the sting out of the “Berlin-Rome-Tokio Axis”—and that, unquestionably, is the immediate ob ject of British foreign policy—Britain will prepare to protect her Orient in terests against Japanese penetration and aggression. There is no knowing where that will lead us—probably into war.

We must remember that the Jap anese, apart from the remarkable national qualities which have made of them a front-rank Power, are ani mated by a conceit that Europeans scarcely can comprehend. We know them simply as a small-made Asiatic people, a fecund mixture of Mongol and Malay, lacking somewhat in stamina, with a genius in adaptive ness and national co-operation. But the Japanese regard themselves as a race apart, infinitely superior to all other peoples, endowed by high

heaven with a mission for the con trol and regeneration of all mankind.

They regard all other races with con tempt; and, at the back of every Japanese heart, there is the belief that Japan eventually will defeat every European power that marches against her. We may not be inspired by what we have seen of the Em peror of Japan; but these people be lieve that this member of an ancient dynasty has a divine origin, and has been designated by supernatural power to be the ruler of the world.

They call him “the Son of heaven”.

All this may seem foolish and fan tastic, but it represents, in dealing with a people dominated by a fata listic readiness for sacrifice, a psy chological factor of great complexity and difficulty.

British people everywhere must face the possibility of war with Japan.

The thing is not merely a clash of commercial interests—it is deepseated, racial, cultural—a fundamental dif ference in standards of living, in national organisation, in moral out look—a struggle, in fact, between two different civilisations. Britain takes the lead on behalf of Western civili sation, naturally, because she repre sents all that is best in European life, and because she has so great an Em pire to defend. The British people, for centuries, have enjoyed enormous wealth and many privileges, in com parison with people of other lands.

Now, they must get ready to defend their property and liberty and, prob ably, life itself.

The people of the British Dominions need be under no delusions; about what the future holds. The statement of the British Prime Minister in the House of Common on March 7 was quite clear. He said it was possible, in the event of war, that Britain would have to concentrate her forces in Europe, and she might lose control over her communications with her oversea Dominions; but the latter could be assured that the separation would be temporary—the Mother Country certainly would come to their succour eventually. Those were not the words of Mr. Chamberlain, but that is what he meant to convey.

It is recognised that if Britain and the United States would stand to gether in a common foreign policy, they could ensure the peace and safety of the world; and it is a tragedy for the world that the great republic not only refuses any understanding with the few remaining democracies, but actually is lolloping along towards what appears to be political and economic chaos. There is no disposi tion in British countries to reproach the Americans, however; the British very properly accept the fact that the Americans are free to do whatever they wish.

But something may yet develop out of Anglo-American friendship. A far-reaching trade treaty, between the two nations, now is being framed.

American warships were honoured visitors (and the only foreign ships present) at Singapore in February, when Britain’s £11,000,000 naval base was opened. The crews of the four American warships in Sydney Harbour in January, during sesqui-centenary celebrations, were overwhelmed with friendly attentions, and as cordially reciprocated. It looks as if there is going to be friendly co-operation be tween the United States and Britain in running shipping and aeroplane services across the Pacific. These things may have no meaning, but their appearance leads one to hope that, even yet, Anglo-American co operation will take control of the ugly situation in the Pacific.

If Anglo-American co-operation is impossible, something yet may come out of an Anglo-German understand ing. The British do not like the Nazi form of Government; but they may not forget that, psychologically, the Germans and the Anglo-Saxons are very close together; and co-operation between them, in world affairs, would be a desirable thing, and quite prac ticable.

Hitler has said that with the return of the Saar and the Rhineland to Ger many, there need be no further quar rel between Germany and France. If that be so, what is there to prevent an alliance of Western Europe powers, based on colonial concessions made to Germany by Britain and France?

Such an alliance would put an end, for the present at least, to the grave danger in the Pacific and, maybe, it would save European civilisation.