Evening star., 1937-12-25
Japan's Guilt.

Anything but seasonable Christmas
reading is provided by the official reports
OF Lieutenant Commander Hughes of
U. S. S. Panay and of the Naval Court
OF Inquiry ordered to investigate the
bombing and sinking of that vessel by
forces OF the japanese Army and Navy
In keeping with the traditions of their
service Commander Hughes and his
brother officers confine their respective
accounts and findings to factual state
ments, ccnspicuously devoid of rancor
or provocation.
Their -countrymen are under
no contraint to refrain from depicting
the outrage on the Yangtze in its true
colors. 1t is now indisputable that the
attack was not only unprovoked and pre-
meditated, but was pressed with so ruth
less disregard alike of the ordinary legali-
ties and humanities that it can only be
adequately stigmatlzed as cynical and
brutal. 1t was more than an act of war.
It bore far greater resemblance to
piracy.
BY accident or design, the Toxic gov
eminent also chose Christmas Eve as the
hour for formally acknowledging full re-
sponsibility for the assault, announcing
that all concerned in it had been pun
ished according to law" and that def
mite and specific steps had been taken
to avoid recurrence of a similar mis-
take" These assurances, given in re-
sponse to Washington's demands for ex-
plantations, apologies and amends, are
deficient in at least three particulars
They Cd utterly ignore President Roose-
velt's pointed request that this country's
"shock and concern" be brought directly
to the attention of Emperor Hirohito;
CD they do not make clear how the re-
sponsible bombers were 'punished' for
sinking the American gunboat, entirely
due to, mistake" and 90 they fail to
dignity by so much as a syllable the
callous action of japanese aircraft and
military units in machine cunning help
less survivors of the bombing attack and
Inquiry recites, Ito grave danger and
continuous hardship"
That only three or four lives were lost,
and only q dozen of the Panay's officers
and men were seriously injured in line
OF duty" in no wise measures. the i'm
mensity or horror of the episode or mini
naizes Japan's culpability for what is re-
strainedly termed by our naval investiga-
tors as "an unprecedented and unlocked
for attack of great violence" Foreign
Minister Hirota's note, bearing telltale
evidence of having been compiled while
army and navy hotspurs held the Sword
OF Damocles over his hapless head, is a
perfunctory and palpable quibble. 1t is
profuse in everything but straightfor-
wardness and genuine contrition. 1t may
suffice to close the ugly incident in a
technical diplomatic sense. 1t will not
strike the American people as either a
truly amende honorable or at all COM
nensurate with the magnitude of the
misdemeanor.
The Government and people of the
United States do not dream of making
Japan's affront to our ships, our flag and
our rights in China in itself cause for
war. But that it will serve as spur to
other action by this country designed to
obviate the remotest risk of repetition is
foregone conclusion. If there had ever
been any question of such consequence,
Tokio's grudging and inconclusive treat
ment of the Panay affair has resolved
doubt into certainty. Ways and means
exist for enforcing respect not freely ac-
corded. America must not and will not
shrink from invoking them.