Evening star., 1937-12-16

any other power #s$E
and no complica- IIlIifl1ISi1
tions that might
lead to grave situ- 49, s -
ations between David I.vr.r..
the United States
and foreign governments.
The President of the United States
has, Of course, appealed to all Amer
leans to withdraw from China, but this
is far different thing from their right
to stay there and do business.
There are about 5000 Americans in
China out Of the II 900 who were
there when the hostilities began. OF
those now in China about 2,500 are
missionaries and about $500 Amer
leans engaged in various business and
professional pursuits such as manufac-
turing, banking, medicine, etc. Most
OF the families of Americans hav, gone
but some women and children remain.
1t isn't easy to pull up stakes in few
weeks, abandon possessions and trans
fer effects after having spent many
years in country. Not all have the
necessary funds, too to stand some Of
the heavy expenses involved, so natu-
rally there has been delay in getting
arrangements of this kind consum-
mated.
Japan Thought Civilized.
No passports, of course, are being
granted to permit any more Americans
to go to China and there is no tourist
travel permitted near the war zones.
But the plight of the Americans who
have had to remain behind has not
been of their making. For generations
1t has been supposed that Japan was
. civilized nation and that respect for
the rights of foreigners was as sacred
to the Japanese as it is to the Amer
lean or British or French peoples.
Back home in America where many
people are very comfortable and can
protect themselves easily against being
forced out of their homes in economic
or physical disasters, there is doubtless
little realization of how helpless these
Americans in the Far East really are.
They cannot run off to some relatives
nearby or take train to another city
They must get out of interior points
Tor the most part by boat The Ameri-
can gunboat Panay was in the act of
taking Americans from the Marking
area. The japanese may be in q great
hurry to wipe 1ut the Chinese, but
there is no special urgency about their
viping out the foreigners who have
had to remain behind.
Panay Machine Gunned.
Just what happened with respect
to the sinking of the Panay will be
determined, no doubt, by official in
quiry, but authentic reports say the
American gunboat was plainly marked
with the American flag painted on her
decks. Some reports have it that the
Japanese opened machine gunfire
from launches. This would mean that
the japanese commanders were deter
mined to drive out the American naval
forces from Chinese waters.
The japanese military chiefs in
China have been rather Indifferent to
cries OF international law and treaty
rights. The Toxic foreign Office to-
day has somewhat the same role as
the German foreign Office in 1915.
The German admiralty torpedoed
American ships and the foreign office
and ambassadors did the apologizing.
It's regular technique In wartime
which the japanese have copied di-
rectly from the Germans; indeed the
Japanese reveal that they believe in
the German philosophy of war days,
namely, action first and explanations
and apologies afterwards.
There is no need, however, for the
American people to become fearful
tnat actual war Is the only way to
bring Japan to an understanding of
now wrong her course happens to be.
There are many measures short of
war which can be taken. The impor-
tant thing at the moment is whether
Great Britain and the United States
actlng together can make the Japa-
nese militarists understand that re-
spect for the rights of foreigners is
epsolutely imperative.
Have No Legal Right.
Strictly speaking, there has been
no declared war" as between japan
and China, so the Japanese have no
legal right on earth to be bombing
American vessels of any kind, naval
or passenger. The people of the
United States accord courtesies to
thousands of Japanese in the Phil
lipines, Hawaii and continental United
States. If the Japanese government
cannot see that Americans are treated
With respect so that they are per-
mitted to do business in areas of the
world which the Japanese control or
dominate, then 1t is in order for
Japanese to be asked to cease doing
business within the confines of the
United States Government and to 20
back to Japan.
The whole theory OF international
law and courtesy Is a reciprocal one.
II Americans cannot any longer pur-
sue their business and professions in
the Far East, there Is no reason why
Japanese should not be asked to leave
American territory and 60 back to
Japan or to some other foreign
country.
This is but one Of the steps that
can be oonsideredsA sAs a means of get
ting respect for treaty rights. Either
Japan prefers the course of barbarism
and q disregard Of international law
and treaty rights or she prefers to be
counted in the family of civilized ma
tions' with q government whose word
once given can be respected. Japanese
military and naval commanders have
made scrap of paper of the many
assurances hitherto given by the Toxic
government.
It Is true Americans have no right
70 remain in the Far East II by so
doing they might involve America in
war, but neither have the japanese
commercial interests any right to get
American funds, American materials,
or American hospitality In any Amer
lean territory If the Government here
% decides.
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