The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1934-01-19
National Topics Interpreted


wondering whether the new year upon
which we SO recent
Sees Great lyembarked will see
War This Year an end to the mis-
cry and suffering
wrought by the depression; wondering
whether the Presidents program for
spending our way out Of the depres-
sion is going to work; wondering
whether our countless domestic prob
lens can be solved believe most of
us have been overlooking grave dan
ger that appears now to be rushing
headlong at US. At the risk of being
jingoistic, / am going to record here
q conviction that a gigantic war will
be under way ere we turn into the
lane marked 1895.
Some months ago, wrote in these
columns observations gathered in
Washington that Japan was on fence,
undetermined which way to jump.
Japan seems now to have decided.
Her course, unless quickly changed,
will lead directly and with startling
suddenness into conflict with Russia.
The great Russian bear is fully aware
Of this. War preparation is going on
there and 1t Is going on feverishly In
Japan.
But that is not all. Clouds of storm
portending intensity are gathering in
Europe. They center about another
Franco-German conflict. And Russia
is watching the potentialities of that
situation as well.
Military and naval students here,
and there are some of the greatest of
the military and naval scientists in
the world located In Washington, as
sure me that neither a conflict be-
tween the Japanese and Russians, nor
Franco-German controversy ending
in arms can be localized. Others
among the peoples will be drawn in,
despite efforts to keep the peace. do
not know, nor does any of the author
tiles, whom / have consulted, know
whether the United States can remain
outside of the lines Of battle once they
are drawn. My suspicion is that the
United States would be dragged In.
Nations In this age cannot live to
themselves alone.
A picture of conditions among the
powers at this writing, as given me
by men acquainted with the details,
shows relationships to be something
like this:
Russia and France regard Hitlerized
they have understandings that take in
Poland and several other lesser states
that always have been aligned with
France as military allies. 1t might
be called an entente. Then, Germany
and Japan, each aware of the forces
at work against them, have been re-
ported as trying to establish some sort
Of an agreement to act In concert
against Russia. italy, likewise, Is said
to be playing one group against the
other In an effort to gather something
for herself. And behind the scenes,
90 to speak, the British John Bull Is
shown as trading for advantages be-
tween the two groups, seeking all Of
the while to avoid European conflict
but apparently out in the open, or
nearly SO, in support Of Japan against
Russia.
Wilfrid Fleisher. Tokyo correspond
emit of the New York Herald Tribune,
reported to his
Uneasy newspaper the other
About Japan day that Gen. sadao
Araki, japanese war
minister, had called the attention of his
people in speech to the fact that this
is dog year." He explained that jap
anese greet 1884 with pleasure for Sin
a dog year things come easily" He
identified dog year" as meaning
smooth sailing in all affairs. There
are good many men in high places
of our government who shuddered a
bit when they read of General Araki's
statement. They read into his lines
an intention to employ 1884 as year
in which to attempt to weld the civili-
cation of the Orient and the Western
world, year to launch holy mission.
Such a religious fervor contains por-
tents that are not pleasant to con-
template, as much because of the In
direct, as because of the direct,
effect of lighting the fuse.
AS the political maneuvers> continue.
d good many economic factors and de-
velopments have been going on unno-
ticed while we here in the United
States worried about the mortgage
that was due, or about Job, or about
some other purely domestic matter.
For instance, a brief cable dispatch
q few days ago told of an arrange
ment by which Japan was trading fin
ished textiles for Indian cotton. It
reported that Japan would buy 1,500,-
600 bales of cotton, paying for it with
400,000,0O0 yards of cloth. Cotton is a
necessary prerequisite for war prep
aration.
Also, Japan has been buying scrap
iron for year or more. That has
haan almost the 0n1y market for acran