The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-03-09

mo promises on Cne part {
their surplus materials with
the "have 1ots" will arrest the
march of events. In fact, no
such pledge could be kept as
long as the League of Nations func-
tons. Italy today is finding, just
when she needs them most, that
essentials are being denied her by
sanctions, embargoes or quotas.
To achieve their place in the
sum-" manifest destiny" or what
ever they choose to call it, every
strong power now knows it must
control, as nearly as possible, three
things: Adequate raw materials,
markets, and room for economic ex-
pansion.
Have N0ts" Await Moment
These three things are possible
only where there are colonies or
their equivalent. That Germany,
Italy or Japan would agree to any
scheme of collective security" based
upon the status quo, or would live
up to any such agreement If made,
is unthinkable.
They haven't the slightest inten-
ton Of helping to freeze" the pres
ent world territorial situation. Only
the halves" are willing to do that.
The have nots" are merely awaiting
an opportune moment to fight for
more.
There are only 100000 square
miles of land on earth good, bad
and Indifferent. Of that, Great Bril-
tain controls 1912, 900 square miles,
or approximately one-quarter of the
total.
Second comes the Soviet Union,
with 8,144,000 square miles, or above
one-seventh. France ranks third,
with nearly 100000 square miles,
while China comes fourth with four
and quarter millions.
U. S. Last on List
Brazil is fifth with 1926, 900 square
miles and the United States, with
some 100000 miles, comes last of
the landed Big Six"
Germany, with 100000 popula-
ton, is confined to an area only
slightly larger than California
$4,000 square miles.
Japan, with approximately the
same number of inhabitants as
Germany, has even less land, not
counting her recent grabs. Japan
proper has 10000 square miles,
mostly of mountains, or about the
same as Montana.
Italy, with 100000 population,
has a total area-exclusive of her
collection of deserts" fiatteringly
called colonies-of paltry 10000
square miles. She is smaller than
New Mexico.
I do not contend that the "haves"
should turn over part of their
territory to the have nots.' This
article has nothing whatever to do
with the facts. plus the universal
conviction in Europe that, like it or
not, these facts are leading the
world, at dazzling speed, toward
another conflict.
Miss Point Altogether
Japan, Germany and Italy insist
they must expand or explode. And
they naturally prefer to spend the
force of TIE explosion in foreign
war rather than in domestic strife.
They talk a good deal, too, about
being overcrowded. They say they
must do something with their sur
plus population" Critics reply that
when the Germans did own colonies
they did not go there in vast num-
bers. They cite the fact that there
are more Italians in New York City
than in all Libya, Eritrea and Ital-
ian Somaliland combined. And they
observe that there are fewer Jap
aneSe today in Manchuria than are
born in Japan proper in single
year.
All of which may be true. But
they miss the point altogether, Ger
many, Italy and Japan do not mean
they intend to round up millions of
their inhabitants and send them
overseas as coloniStS. They mean
something far more fundamental.
Seeks Access to Materials
In Japan I was told again and
again that, given adequate food
supplies, raw materials and mar
ket, Nippon does not need to export
japanese. Like little England, she
can feed and employ them at home.
Given control of Korea, Man
churia, Jehol and the northern
provinces of China between Nthe
Great Wall and the old bed of the
yellow River, Japan will be well on
the way to her goal. She might in
deed send comparatively few set
tiers into that area. But she would
have access to a vast store of raw
materials now lacking. plus a pop
ulation of l2n,000,000 Chinese among
whom to develop a controlled mar
ket.
And whatever Japan developed
within this controlled area would
swell her own national wealth and
help her hold her own among the
great powers, in peace and in war.
That is the sort of thing the have
nots" are really driving at when
they talk of room to expand. AS
many people today live in New York
City alone as inhabit the whole
kingdom of Belgium. But they are
able to do so only because of an
ample hinterland supplying food
stuffs, raw materials and market.
Were New York surrounded by
alien soil. the American island of
Manhattan would be forever at the
mercy of its neigh5ors. 1t could not
long survive.
What makes new conflict certain
is just that the have nots" intend
TO fight their way to more as soon
as they believe they are strong
enough to do so. And second, the
"haves" as always are determined to
hang on to what they have.
The League of Nations efforts to
assure access to raw materials will