America Moves-And Japan Goes

Into Reverse

rpHERE has been nothing quite so i comical lately, in international affairs, as the diplomatic floundering of Japan.

The position, a month ago, was that Britain and France, having wit nessed the cold-blooded murder of Czechoslovakia by Hitler and his Nazi gangsters, and the seizure of Albania by Italy, had abandoned all hope of maintaining peace in Europe through honourable understandings with the dictators. Forthwith, they made an Anti-Aggression Pact with Poland, gave certain guarantees to Roumania and Greece, entered into negotiations with Russia (with a view to bringing that huge Communist State into the Pact) and proceeded to put their forces on to a semi-war basis —all with a purposefulness which could not be misdirected or misread.

But the Totalitarian' States (among which we number Japan) did not be lieve it. They had bluffed the demo cracies at Munich; they did not be lieve that Britain and France would fight. Japan formally congratulated Germany on her Czech “triumph”, and Italy on the seizure of Albania; while she herself, turning a grinning face at France, grabbed a few more strategic islands.

Then America moved; and, as hap

pened once before, (in 1917), she moved so unexpectedly, and with such weight, that she probably altered the course of history. President Roosevelt spoke only a few words. He asked Hitler if Germany would promise not to make an unprovoked attack upmi any of Europe’s smaller nations —failing which, the United States would be bound to support the European democracies against the dictatorships; and he ordered the great American fleet to go immediately from the Atlantic, back to the North-west Pacific.

A few days later Britain, proceed ing grimly on the course which she set herself after March 15, introduced conscription and got ready to equip a million soldiers.

Since then, there has been an amaz ing change. Hitler, literally “put on the spot”, has replied publicly to Roosevelt with a torrent of shrill words which are mere equivocation.

He has not given the required promise, and America remains signi ficantly silent. Hitler had been get ting ready to attack Poland, while Mussolini’s predatory eye was roam ing over the Mediterranean. But now they are “conferring”. They know, now, that if they attack any more of their neighbours, they will

have to fight Britain and France, who will be aided by the United States and, probably, Russia.

Japan saw the hole in the ladder, and back-stepped in a hurry. Very conscious of those countless great grey battleships lying there behind Hawaii, she announced, with a maximum of publicity, that she would not enter a military alliance with Germany and Italy, and she hinted that she did not like dictators, anyhow. She said she desired no entangling European connections; she wanted only to be left alone in her Asiatic sphere. She even hinted that she would like to resume her old friendly relations with John Bull.

This, of course, was the voice of Japanese commerce, now gravely em barrassed by Japan’s military situa tion. But Japan still is in the grip of the Fascist-military-naval group— let there be no doubt of that.

THE international situation now is much improved. This is seen, already, in a better tone in the stock exchanges and commodity markets.

But it is due to no change of heart in Germany or Italy or Japan. It is due to the determined attitude of an armed Britain and France, and the clear policy of an arming America.

We may as well face the truth. The world peace we all want can be achieved only so long as we are strong enough to keep out the international wolves.