The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-01-23
World Front
By HARRY CANNES :
HirOta's Imagination
Bedtime Peace Stories
Watching Red China

Bedtime Peace Stories
Watching Red China
ONE would make a great
" mistake if he thought,
after reading his speech, that
the Japanese Minister for
Foreign Affairs, Koki Hirota,
had a very weak Imagination,
True, the speech itself asserts
it. But then words in diplomacy are
used to conceal thoughts and aims.
H1rots more than once empha-
sizes that war between Japan and
the United States is 'unimaginable."
yet the whole content of the speech
shows the contrary.
Hirota discusses the primacy Of
japanese imperialism in the donj-
nation of China. The foreign min
lister concerns himself more with
the internal conditions of China.
than with the starvation districts
in North Japan. He talks about
navies, about ornaments, always
around the central question of
which power, the United States,
Britain or Japan will dominate the
Far Eastern markets.
OF course, Roosevelt when he in.
creased the United States war APP
preparations by over $3.50 100000 in
his last budget message in Congress
did not consider war with Japan
"unimaginable," When the Vinson
Bill was passed the idea of war with
Japan had gone far beyond the
sphere of the Brain Trusts irnagi-
nation. It was 4 matter of reality
in preparation.
ABOUT 80 days before the OUT
n break of the last world war.
Professor Schultze- Gavernetz, one
Of the outstanding European eco
nomists, declared, echoing scores of
diplomatic speeches, that the idea
Of humanity being plunged into a
new war was unimaginable. He
pointed to industrial progress" and
the peaceful relations of all the
leading powers. He showed, very
much as Hirota now does. how the
eco n ON i C "interdependence" Of
countries would make violent con-
flict entirely out of the question.
And then only about a week ago
Senator Nye, chairman of the Arms
Investigation Committee, declared
that the United States was closer
to war than the European countries
we're 30 days before the outbreak Of
the last world war. The Senator,
who has heard many intimate war
secrets that have not yet been made
public, stated that the United States
and Japan were leading the world
in war ornaments.
We can see the Japanese naval staff
laughing up its capacious kimona
sleeves just as heartily as the Navy
Department in Washington does up
its goldbraid u S. naval and air
bases are springing up in islands
all along the Pacific up to the
northern-most points of Alaska, di-
rected against Japan
ROOSEVELT is not spending bill
IN lions for war, while refusing real
unemployment insurance to the
American workers, just to dampen
the Imagination of the American
war and navy stats.
Hirota, of course, had word to
say about the Soviet Union. Our
government is planning to accel~
crate the peaceful development Of
Soviet-Japanese relations by re-
doubling its efforts for the solu-
ton of other THAT is, other than
the Chinese Eastern Railway ques-
toni problems, said Hirota, the
chief foreign salesman and arms
expert for the Mitsui and Mitsu-
bishi trusts.
1t would be rude to ask Hirota
why 100000 Japanese troops are in
Manchuria near the Soviet border;
why Japanese military railroads and
auto roads are being built all lead
ing towards the Soviet border; why
over 400 Japanese bombing planes
have been sent to Manchuria, and
air bases dotted strategically for at
tack on the Soviet border. And why,
some of the Communist leaders IN
Japan, will say to the japanese
masses, Mr.. Hirota, are japanese
troops, at the very moment you we're
speaking, driving S oviet wards
through Jehol and Chahar province
deliberately aiming for the main
road to the workers fatherland
through Mongolia9 But since more
than 10000 Communists are in
Japanese prisons for fighting
against just such actions, we are
sure there never will be an answer
from Hirota.
I'm dealing with China, the Foreign
! Minister of Japan, expresses MS
happiness over Chang Kai Shek's
victory against the Red Army IN
Kiangsi province, but expresses
more concern over the fact that the
Red Army is becoming a greater
menace to japanese imperialist am
billions in Szechuan and the North
west of China. In view of this
fact 1.-THE Red Arny's advances in
Szehcuan1," he says, the Japanese
government will be obliged to con-
tinue to watch with concern activ-
tiles of the Communist Party and
armies in China"
Japanese imperialism has never
been DISTINGUISHED for its uatnhflii