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pp. 7-8 · Read in the full issue
Japan On the Edge of the Abyss
PROBABLY, before this journal is In distribution, Japan will have made a decision which will mean peace or war m the Pacific. If it is to be war, all British and allied communities in the Pacific will enter a period of great difficulty and danger, the inevitable end of which will be the removal of a menace which, for too long, has rendered life uneasy under the Southern Cross, Ever since Hitler plunged the world into war, Japan has been “dithering” on the fence, eager to join the predatory Powers in carving up the British and French and Dutch Empires; but not quite certain that there will be spoils for division. Japan is divided between the militaristic clique, which is avid for war at any price, and the money clique, which does not want any more war unless it is certain to bring great aggrandisement in new territories and new trade.
When Hitler overthrew France and Holland, and Britain was isolated and apparently ready for the slaughter, Japan saw apparently the greatest opportunity in her history— the chance to grab Indo-China and New Caledonia (French), East Indies (Dutch), and Malaya. Burma. Borneo, and the valuable British territories to the southward. It was then (October, 1940) that Japan confidently announced her adherence to the Axis, and her quaint “Co-Prosperity League
of Eastern Asia” was formulated as the basis of her foreign and Pacific Policy- But the plan went awry. Bntam, to the disgust of the Axis, kept on fighting; and an undefeated Britain meant that the Dutch could retain the East Indies. That section of the French Empire which declared for Free France was similarly protected ready after the shock of France’s caDit y u lation to accent the fact of an victory’ took new hope from the
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fncreaSne confidence to the assist the democracies' and finally * nc ? ° i f t ctar Zt anv ’ interference the wmiiH nnt bp tolerated Th bitter days for Japan Th Prn o npr it v League” seemed 0 0 near? vef Japan dare not Britain was unbroken, , . Amer ican fleets cruised
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A STUDY of Japan’s diplomatic A antics during the first half of 1941 is most diverting. The little men were so pathetically eager to do the right thing, and so desperately afraid of doing the wrong one. Ger many was brutal to her Asiatic partner. “If you want us to support your territorial ambitions”, said the Huns, “go to war with the United States, keep American aid from reach ing Britain, and then, when we have
finished with Britain, we shall make peace with America, and you can do Van ted more 1 than that
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It will be remembered that Mr. „ linkn wont tn Berlin Rome and Mn „« nw returned smilingly to Moscow, the Russ^-Japanese Aggression Pact in his P little liints of Cop rosDer i+ in his press inter started with anything, Germany and Russia began fighting (on June 22), and the Japanese diplomats again were offside.
All this time, Japan was creeping, slowly and stealthily, upon Indo- China. Britain and USA did nothing, They would have protected New Caledonia, which had declared for de Gaulle, but not Indo-China, which had remained Vichy French. If Japan had completed the penetration of Indo-China in this fashion the democracies might have ignored the typically Japanese procedure. Pro- Vichy Indo-China is not worth fight mg over. , But when the Japanese suddenly sounded the big drum a outcome of the Russo-German he lopment—-and marched French Colony with flags uyi g, obviously < C 0 I kl .^f. ia q^ 00 T tqa democracies, Bpi tam and USA swiftly. They thp dure much to keep peace m the Pacific but they knew that y ignored this, the Asiatic m d
regard it as weakness, and before long the Japanese would move against the East Indies, or Burma.
SO Japan’s assets were “frozen” throughout USA and the British Empire, and a virtual blockade was clamped upon all trade with Japan.
The effect of this has been devas tating. Japan’s national economy, already gravely disturbed and weak ened by the China war, is now in grave danger of collapse. USA and Britain virtually said: “You are act ing in a threatening way. You may not trade with any of our enemies, and we shall not trade with you until you have given us certain guarantees in regard to the future”.
That was on July 27. For three months, Japan wriggled, and twisted, and her newspapers and more belli gerent Ministers threatened first Britain and then America; and then, as the economic freeze-up became ever more paralysing, the nation split on the question of lighting, or seek ing an agreement with the demo cracies. The Government resigned, a new, apparently pro-war Govern ment took office late in October—and British and American forces in the Pacific went to action-stations.
But, while the situation remains tense, there has been no shooting.
Japan is now discussing the situation in Washington ; and an agreement may be expected, and a new and better era may dawn in Anglo- American-Japanese relations.
GOD help Japan if she decides for war! The democracies are finished with fine phrases and face saving. America is ready to fight, at the fall of a flag; Britain has based very large military and air forces upon Singapore, and has brought a fleet of surprising strength into the Pacific; and Mr. Churchill has an nounced (November 10) that Britain will declare war upon Japan “within
an hour” of Japan going to war with the United States. If Japan decides for war, she will be crushed under the combined weight of America, Britain, China, and the Dutch and Russian forces in the Far East.
And few will regret it—for too long, the sabre-rattling of Japanese mili tarists, and the absurd babblings of her “Co-Prosperity” propagandists, have disturbed our Pacific peace.
If the Huns had taken Leningrad and Moscow, or had reached the oil fields of the Middle East, the Fascists of Japan would have thrown the country into war. As it is, Japan probably will seek a peaceful settle ment. But she has been a bad neigh bour, and it is to be hoped that an alarmed and armed Britain and America, having brought matters to this stage, will deal with her merci lessly, but with firmness and justice.