Evening star., 1937-09-05
IS KEY
TOJApAN'S SCOURSE
Religion of MiIitarism Also
Leads Islanders Into A.
tack on China.
BY CRESTON b. MULLINS.

BY ChkSION B. MULLINS.
Basic issues between Japan and
China have become badly obscured
by events at Shanghai and by neces-
sary attention of the American press
to demands for and against invoca-
ton OF the neutrality act
The Shanghai affair, just as in
1882, is not the principal issue and
will bear upon the achievement or
failure Of Japan's chief aim only as
it serves to weaken one side or the
other in the main arena. which is
North China. Yet Shanghai is the
scene OF the greatest slaughter, the
most bitter fighting and is most filled
with perils OF foreign intervention.
Opinions in ofhcial Washington
vary on whether Japan provoked the
Shanghai incident to draw large
bodies OF Chinese forces away from
North China or whether China took
advantage Of an opportunity provided
by the killing of two Japanese at the
Hungiao Airdrome to draw Japan's
strength away from the five northern
provinces, but the fact remains that
in launching into campaign against
Shanghai and Marking Toxic stepped
in where Chinese defense equipment
could be used more effectively than
on the distant northern battlefront.
No Possibility Of Retreat.
II japanese military leaders and
statesmen appear adamant in their
demand that all China be conquered
now it is because they see no pos
sibility Of honorable retreat. To step
out abruptly and concentrate in the
North would leave China in possess
sion Of Shanghai, where Japanese
interests are great, and large part
OF the Japanese army's prestige at
home and abroad
To permit mediation through for
eign Intervention. as Gen. Chang
Kai-shek has proposed, would be to
give foreign powers a foothold in
Slno-Japanese relations and Toxic
we'll remembers how the intervention
of Russia. France and Germany at
her to cancel the cession of the
Liaotung Peninsula-southern extern
sion of Manchuria.
Even in 1905. after beating Russia
in retaliation for its leadership in
1895, foreign intervention again de-
prived Japan Of monetary reparations
in the peace negotiations at Ports
mouth at the behest of Theodore
Roosevelt.
So Toxic is in no mood to permit
Occidental powers. who she knows are
motivated by self-interest as much as
she Is, to step between her and
China. The decision must be be-
tween China and Japan alone. her
militarisLs insist, and, of course, in
favor OF Japan.
True Issues in North.
Unable to withdraw from Shanghai.
Japan finds herself in the position of
having to launch fight to the fin-
lsh. although she hesitates. for moral
and ethical reasons, to give the strug-
gle the status Of war But in the
north are to be found the true source
OF Japsn's campaign against China
and the true issues between the old
and the new empires.
Unbiased opinion of the true issues
is not easy to find in Washington. A
consensus may be arrived at by bal
ancing bitter resentment against
Japan for her fragrant attitude in
trying to impose her will throughout
Asia against mild apologies for Japans
course based upon the economic neces-
sites. Somewhere between the two
lies the truth, which appears to be
the following:
Japans invasion manifests eco
nomic distress from overpopulation
coupled with religion OF militarism,
the tenets of which are not only ma
tional security, but the aggrandize-
ment of Japan's prestige and military
glory for its own sake. Thus right
and wrong are intermingled.
Japan's need for alienation OF the
pressure Of population upon her soil
has not justified her, however. OBJ
servers believe, in the use of violent
means. and what justice there is in
her plea for space and markets into
which to expand is overshadowed by
the injustices Of her methods.
Hirota Revealed Policy.
Foreign Minister Koki Hirota in a
speech to the japanese Diet. jan
uarv 81. 1886 revealed his govern