The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-12-02
JAPAN PREFERS
DEATH TO CHINA
POLICY RETREAT
Never Will Surrender Grip
, on ManChuria, Says Nip
pom Student.
BY WILLIAM PHILIP SIMMS
Scripps-Howard Foreign Editor

scripph-Howard Foreign Editor
WASHINGTON, Dec. Japan
never will surrender Manchuria,
regardless Of what the League of
Nations may do with the Lytton
report, and regardless Of what
the United States may do with
the nine-power treaty.
Call it Japan against the world.
Call it what you will But the fact
remains that Japan believes with
all her soul that she is fighting
for her life, and is prepared to die
in her tracks rather than retreat
from the course she has taken"
The speaker was Kinosuke
Adachi, internationally known
Japanese American, in an inter
view here remarkable for its frank
ness and fraught with startling sig
nifcance. Just back from many
months in Japan. Manchuria and
China, he had stopped over on his
way TO New York.
Writer, lecturer and journalist,
Adachi is as far from being a
lingo as one pole is distant from
the other.
He made it his business while in
the Orient to talk with the leading
actors in the far eastern drama.
Educated in U. S.
Brought up and educated in the
United States, he saw with Amer
lean eyes, and listened with Amer
lean ears to things, which his Jap
anese blood helped him to under
stand.
Il know" he said. "it is awfully
hard for Americans to understand
what is now going on in Japan. I
know because my own point Of view
is more American than Japanese.
Perhaps this illustration, how
ever, will help. Back in 1904,
Japan bcheld mighty Russia slow
ly but getting control of Manchuria
and Korea. She knew if Russia in
trenched herself in that part of
Asia, Japan was doomed to remain
just a tiny, poverty stricken island
out in the Pacific, always at the
mercy Of new powerful neighbors.
Japan at that time, therefore,
had to choose between slow death,
as a vassal Of Russia, and what she
firmly believed would be quick death
In war with that country.
Did Not Hesitate
yet, she did not hesitate. She
chose to die CALAMITY fighting in the
open, rather than be cooped up in
her little island and ingloriously
strangled.
The thing to remember about all
this, is that Japan was convinced
she would be defeated. Every war
Office in Europe and America at
that time rated Russia as the
strongest military power on earth.
Nevertheless, Japan backed that war
to man, she was absolutely united
in her determination to commit sui
eide rather than calmly accept
whatever fate the colossal Musco-
vite empire might condescend to
mete out to her.
To-day, let me assure you with
out the slightest exaggeration.
Japan is convinced she faces a SINH
lar crisis. To permit the war lords
of China, with her 100000 900 popu-
lation to have their way in Asia,
in Japanese opinion, will spell the
doom of the empire.
See ImpIacabIe Enmity
These war lords are determined
to drive the Japanese off the con-
tinent and, if left alone, they
eventually will accomplish their
purpose.
Just as Japan saw Russia had to
be stopped if Japan was to survive
a third of a century ago, she now
sees that China must be stopped.
And just as she faced what she
believed was almost certain death
when she fought Russia, yet went
ahead, she now has made up her
mind to go ahead in China. come
what may. Nothing that Geneva
can do can change anything, so far
. as Nippon is concerned. Nothing
: the world can do can change any
thing. For, as General Araki, min
lister of war, told me in Toxic.
Japan's strength is spiritual any,
way, rather than material"