Evening star., 1937-09-05

ment's three-pronged policy for 4
f1nal settlement with China
a. Chinese economic co-opers ton
with Japan and the elimination OF
Cd Recognition OF Manchukuo and
Of the autonomy Of the nve northern
provinces-Hopeh. Chahar. Suiyuan,
and Shartung; ana
80 Cooperation OF the Central
Chinese government for the elimina-
ton Of the red" menace.
A long series Of refusals to negotiate
with Japan on any but the nrst point
eliminated in invasion after the Lu-
kouchaio incident July T. China flatly
refused to even talk about full auton-
omy for the five provinces
The first two Hirota principles re-
veal clearly the economic nature OF
Japan's aims. and still further in the
background lie the undeniable facts
that Japan's increase OF 100000 a
year IN population is severely COM
promising her rise to western stand
ard OF living. Within Japan itself the
issue is between domestic collapse
and entrenchment OF the present mil
ltary regime.
Sufficient Food Necessary.
The preservation Of high standard
OF living requires first a suficiency of
food supply and other usable goods
and secondly adequate purchasing
power. Growing population must have
increasing quantities of food and in
creasing means with which to obtain
the benefits OF civilization-housing
clothing, enterta nment, etc.
In the face of such growth there
mas been no commensurate additions
to food supply, so that greater pur-
Chasing power, obtained through the
foreign sale OF the product OF JAP
anese labor, is necessary in order to
import food, But Japanese goods have
met higher and higher tariff barriers
as 1orelgn countries attempt to pro-
tect their own labor and its living
standards. Japan, therefore, has had
10 tun TO Aslatic markets, OF which
China is potentially the greatest, and
1t is because she needs the Chinese
market so badly that she seeks to
enclose it for herself by political DOM
ination.
Inc open door in China" for which
the United States and Great Britain
have fought since it was proclaimed
by Secretary of State John Hay nearly
~ years ago was serious impedi-
ment to Japan's complete exploitation
OF the mass Chinese purchasing pow
er. The door must be closed, Japan
must dominate the Chinese market.
Manchukuo Hints Course.
Events in Manchukuo since its crea-
ton m 1882 provide. in spite of the
solemn assurances Of japanese and
Manchukuan officials. the clue to
what Japan will continue to do in
North China unless she is deprived
OF her gains by foreign intervention.
And 1t is just that Intervention which
threatens her as the result of the
Shanghai warfare
Japan cannot countenance foreign
interference for settlement at Shane-
mai for fear such a final settlement
might include North China.
Japan has three alternatives bv
which TO meet her population problem:
- Limitation of the number of per-
sons attaining adulthood. Birth con-
trol is not countenanced for patriotic
reasons, and infanticide. which held
Japan's population at 10000 900 for
century and a half before the Meiji
restoration, is now illegal
~ Expectation Of japanese Ia Dor,
either AS emigration of japanese work.
efs or as expectation of the goods they
produce. AS long as japanese can
emlgrate to no suitable clime-Aus-
tralia and the United States are closed
to them-they must stay home and sell
the product of their labor abroad.
'3) Intensive and extensive devel-
opment Of agriculture. Substantial
improvement in this direction is i'm
possible since the lard already is
yielding to the utmost of its produc-
tiN'ts anu OiilN Ie1DOle Isolated tracts
OF sWampland remain to be reclaimed
Fear for Military Rule.
The third Hirota principle-co-
operation for the elimination of the
red menace-refers to the dangers
for their own regime envisaged by the
Toxic militarists in Communist Russia
japanese militarism which is not
only regime but a system of govern
ment as well. fears the presence of
Russia in the Far East as a menace
to its own preservation The heavily
fortified maritime provinces of East
ern Siberia are beyond the present
ability OF Japan to conquer, but North
China, which under Russian control
might be used as base of operations
against Japan, is to be erected into
buffer from which japanese troops
could cut of communications between
China and Russia in case of war by
seizure of the Outer Mongolian cara
van routes
The strength of Japanese militarism
lies in its constitutional direct re-
sponsibility to the Emperor. The army
and navy constitute bloc by them