The Washington times., 1937-12-14
Let's Keep Cool


i caused by the Yangtze River bombing is to keep
cool and examine the facts
Sitting out the cabled messages received from the
scene of the disaster and checking them with official
reports received at the State and Navy departments
the following facts stand out important:
l. It difficult to believe that the japanese avators
who bombed the ships did not know that they
American or at least foreign vessels They carried
huge American flags and in this part of the Yangtze
virtually all of the modern shipping is British
American.
g On the other hand it is fact that the Japanese
have been leaning backward in the past to avoid
incidents with the United States. They have nothing
to gain and everything to lose by arousing friction
and only last week General Matsui made open bid
for American friendship by saying: "We greatly ap-
-. preciate the American Govern
japanese "0"' ment's friendliness of spirit If
u. ). Friendship Great Britain had been equally
fair and udiciay NEUTRAL Chinas resistance would not
have lasted this long"
This is the exact reverse of the japanese attitude
during the Manchurian crisis in 1882, when American
interests were fouted and the British respected.
g. The State Department has report, apparently
from japanese sources to the effect that orders
given to fire on every ship in the upper Yangtze. If
this is true the only explanation is the existence of
difference of tactics within the Japanese fighting
forces.
This is not unusual. The younger officers in the
Japanese army have patience with the more con-
servative measures of the older generals
Furthermore there always have been differences be-
tween the japanese army and navy. The jealousy be-
tween our own Army and Navy is like kindergarten
,, n., hair pulling in comparison.
.'''"00 "S Officers Of each from
Between Army, Navy the rival satsuma and Cbosu
Clans and their rivalry has been heightened by the
Of ha1t to he hvfh
Japanese army when they first landed in Shanghai.
Thus more temperate officials in Tokyo or Shang-
hal may be saying thing, while the in the field
execute the opposite
This is all the for sitting tight for the
time being and not sticking necks out. There may
be real dssenson among the Japanese Or the other
hand, they may be double-crossing us.
4. Another important fact to be considered is that
the Panay and accompanying tankers 25 miles
up the river from Marking when bombed. This
far out of the range of fighting and they doing
their best to get further away from the hostites.
This was by no means unreasonable position both
from the viewpoint of the japanese and from the view
point of those Senators who demand the immediate
withdrawal of Americans from China.
One thing to be remembered about the withdrawal
Of Americans is that it is absolutely necessary for the
United States to keep consular, commercial and en-
bassy officials at certain points, and four such were
among those bombed.
American officials cannot put their tails between
their legs and scamper for safety the minute trouble
breaks out in any country. We would not respect them
if they did, and the world would not respect u.s. In
fact the American public the first to become in
dignant when Ambassador Nelson Johnson took refuge
American gunboat two months ago.
The State and Navy departments both have done ex-
celent jobs of taking American citizens out of the
trouble zones throughout the long and intermittent
wo ron,t MrLo mr.. war. They cannot however,
n,.., force Americans to leave. Nor
= 1'"''O'"'0 N'"0e can they prevent them, when
once evacuated, from coming back.
1t must be remembered that there are thousands of
Americans in China. Americans have traded with,
preached to and taught the Chinese for over hundred
years. Many Americans have been born there They
do not pull up their roots easily
s. Secretary Hull has taken the only stand that can
be taken at this point by demanding apologies repara-
tons and punishment Of those responsible for the bomb
ing. Ambassador Saito already has apologized and
has promised full indemnity. Of course, the Ambas
sador does not always speak for the Japanese military
but, nevertheless, his statement is important
What will be most important, however, is to watch