in Europe
p. 10 · Read in the full issue
The Hesitations
Of Japan
New Instalment :: "Honourable Jonah" in Europe
LAST month, we described in detail the Pacific situation as we saw it in relation to Japan. We explained;— 1. —That Japan, in recent years, has passed into the control of a Nazi-militarist clique, which has involved her in a disastrous war against China, and committed her to a plan called “New Co-Prosperity Order in the East”, under which she hopes to seize control of ter ritories in and near South-eastern Asia. 2. —That Japan, seeing Holland and France over-run bv Germany, prepared to seize East Indies (Dutch) and Indo-China (French) and. to that end, became a full-blown —but, as yet, non-belligerent—member of the Axis Pact in October, 1940. 3.—That Japan was halted in her move against the East Indies by the stern warning of United States; but, bv a variety of subter fuges, she now is virtually in control of Indo- China and Thailand. 4.—That, to counter American aid to Britain, Germany tried to induce Japan to go to war with United States, and Japan actually assem bled great forces near Indo-China, ready for a southwards thrust, while her newspapers and radio commenced to prepare the populace for war. , . , s.—That the clearly belligerent temper ot United States, plus the heavy defeats inflicted upon Italy by Britain and Greece, caused Japan to pause. What would happen to her if Ger many could not defeat Britain? Large British forces appeared in Malaya and Singapore. 0 —Finally, the Japanese Government gave the equivalent of a “Hold everything!” order while Mr. Matsuoka (Foreign Minister) departed for Berlin, Rome and Moscow, to consult with Hil ler and Mussolini, and try to induce Russia to enter a non-aggression pact (thus ei ? SUr i" S protection for Japan’s backside, should she fin ally decide to attack Malaya and make a gran at the East Indies). rAT was the position when we went to press on March 14. The voluble Mr Matsuoka was then on his way across Siberia, to Europe.
Since then, developments have been watched closely by Pacific dwellers whose future clearly may be affected by the Matsuoka activities and Japans P oll jy- The Axis plans for the first part of the little diplomat's tour went so far astray that a very comical situation was created.
Berlin received Matsuoka with vast cheers and bunting, and gleefully an nounced that Yugoslavia had joined the Axis Pact. This “great diplomatic victory for Germany” was expected to profoundly imnress the Oriental visitor.
Two days later. Yugoslavia kicked out the treacherous Ministers who had en tered the Pact, and made an anti-Axis declaration of freedom and independence.
Mr. Matsuoka hurried away from Ber lin to Rome. Possibly, he could not bear to witness the rage of Hitler and the humiliation of von Ribbentrop. Maybe, he thought Mussolini would be more reas suring. , . On the day that he arrived in Rome, the British caught a large section of the Italian fleet in the Eastern Mediter ranean, and sank most of it. Matsuoka was “entertained” royally in Rome, and went back to Berlin.
A clever London cartoonist drew a picture of a boat in a rough sea. In the stern sat Hitler and Mussolini, sick and miserable. Forward sat Matsuoka, smiling blandly. The caption read: “Honourable Jonah is Aboard!”.
“Honourable Jonah”, still smiling and talking, left for Moscow the day that the now baffled and snarling Germany declared war on Yugoslavia and Greece.
A half-suggestion that he would visit London came to nothing. London was cold.
Perhaps that is why Mr. Matsuoka talked like this: — On April 6, en route to Moscow (a message to the German and Italian peoples): “My visit served to strengthen my belief in the victory of the Axis, and the successful establishment of the New Order”.
On April 7, from Moscow, to German Foreign Minister von Ribbentrop: “I heard your broadcast on the Yugoslav- Greek situation. Heil! Success and good luck!”.
There is no doubt about where his sentiments lay.
From Moscow, during the ensuing week, he watched the German armies sweep over northern Yugoslavia and strike down through Thrace; and now he is on his way back to Japan, with a pact with Russia in his pocket, and probably in his heart a conviction that the events in the Balkans presage the defeat of Britain.
“If it is true that Mr. Matsuoka in Berlin and Rome said Japan was on the side of the Axis in all circumstances and wished it complete success in the war, and if that statement represents the considered view of the Japanese Govern ment, then a dis-service has been done to the hopes of understanding in the Pacific,” said the Australian Minister for External Affairs (Sir Frederick Stewart) on Anril 3.
Following outspoken hopes in Japan of a Russo-Japanese accord, based on a “southwards policy, without ambitions in Siberia”. Baron Hiranuma, Japanese Home Minister on April 10 gave to pro vincial governors a warning “to be ready for a big crisis in East Asia at any moment”.
LET there be no miscalculation. If Britain suffers anything that looks to Japan like a major disaster, Japan will move southwards.
But it is America, rather than Britain, which Japan fears, Japan will argue that an undefeated Britain a staunch America in the Pacific, while a defeated Britain would mean that America would be far too busy with the Atlantic to worry about what Japan was doing in the Pacific Britain will not be defeated. But if Japan does not soon get rid of the gang of chattering Nazi militarists who now are leading her to disaster, they may at any moment, accept a British setback as a major defeat, and throw the Japanese into a war in which their country will be utterly destroyed.