Evening star., 1933-03-05
Question of Munitions for War in
Asia Now Most Acute World Problem

| guilty" party. The governments which
belong to the League proceed to put
that decision into effect. Britain,
France. Italy. Belgium, Czechoslovakia,
Germany. all the countries OF Europe,
except Bolshevik Russia. cease to ship
| munitions to Japan. Their munitions
manufacturers are totally deprived Of
that trade. 1t is totally left to the
| munitions manufacturers resident upon
the territory Of the Government of the
United States.
The world would then witness the
spectacle Of the United States Govern
ment allowing its munitions manufac-
| turers to reap the sole and colossal
profits arising from sales of munitions
to country engaged in military opera
ttOns which the United States Govern
ment has solemnly declared to be in
contravention of obligations assumed
by that country to the American Nation.
How long would the moral sense-or
moral senSitiveness-of the American
Nation permit that spectacle to con-
tinue? Some observers here, in the
course OF contemplating that querry,
now regret that we ever signed any
treaties which obliged US to become
judges Of rightness and wrongness in
foreign war. They nevertheless
necessarily admit that we did indeed
sign such treaties and are indeed bound
by them. They then consequently
necessarily admit that. If all Europe
were embargoing munitions shipments
to Japan. We would presently (out of
mere embarrassment and shame) find
ourselves pursuing the same course.
Pessinlists think that the next step
thereafter would be war between the
United States and Japan. They con-
tend that Japan. thinking herself sub
tected to insult and injury. would her
self declare the war. Optim;sts make
q vigorously different prophecy.
They concede that Japan might de-
clare war against the United States II
the United States were alone in deny
ing munitions to the Japanese armed
forces. They observe, however. that in
the SuppOSition here stated 1t is as
sumed that all Europe. through the
League, Is also DENYING munitions to the
japanese armed forces. They then en-
phatically contend that japan would
not declare war against all Europe end
the United States together. They are
Willingness to fight the whole western
World.
They have two very specific reasons
for the ease of mind which they thus
display. They allegc. in the first place,
that the japanese thoroughly know that
the combined fleets of the Western
World. without ever entering into a ma
val engagement. could paralyze Japan
by blockade which would deprive the
Japanese munitions plants Of all i'm
portations Of cotton. coal. iron ore and
nitrates.
They argue that the japanese govern
ment, fully conversant with that fact,
would never dare the aggregated West
ern World to an ermed contest.
In the second place. they point out
that Japanese declaration of war
against the, United States and against
the European countries which belong to
the League would give to Bolshevik
Russia, on the flank of Manchuria and
OF Jeho!. chance for easy military ac-
tivity which might prove instantly fatal
to all japanese aspirations on the main
land Of Asia.
For these two reasons the optimists
look with e9uanimity at a possible join-
Ing OF the United States and the League
IN an arms embargo directed against
Japan as an accused treaty violator.
The pessimists are equally resolutelv
minded in the opposite sense. They
persistcntly declare that an arms em-
barge can readily become O mere, pro-
logue to an ensuing automatic war.
From both OF these camps of observers
and advisers the new Secretary of state
will hear much counsel before he moves
to settlement Of what is beyond ali
doubt his deepest and most dangerous
immediate problem.
Copyright. 1ea3J