Carbon County news., 1937-09-17

are demanding
BrutoI that the PreSident
Jopun invoke the term.
Of the American
NEUTRALITY act with respect 10 the
war-undeclared though il is--that
Is raging On Chinese soil These
editorial expressions obviously viii
have considerable weight and viii
convince . very great number oi
american citizens that President
Roosevelt ought to invoke the neu.
rahy act and. by so doing, pro-
claim that Japan is the aggreSSor.
That in simple terms. Is what .
presidential announcement Of ap.
pheation Of the neutrality act would
mean.
| There probably has never been =
brutality comparable TO the tn.
speakshle outrage which Japan Is
committing in Chinas certainly,
never in modern times. II is a
stain upon the name of the Jap
aneSe people and the smooth work.
ing Of the japanese military machine
win never be able to offset the hos
dhty which the subjects Of the Ris-
ing Sun are creating by this display
Of brutality.
Although the Tokyo government
has vet to say it is lighting a war.
She Japanese aggression in China Is
Just as much war as though the
United States and Canada had taken
up arms against each other and had
proclaimed to the world that they
we're belligerents. The very fact
hat there has been no declaration
at war, however, cornplicateS the
situation as regards the United
States and Great Britain. Unless
these nations, along with some 9TH
ers which have interests in China,
ere willing to shoulder the re-
sponsihility that comes when an out.
side nation says publicly that two
powers are at war, neither nation
can afford to endanger its neutral
position by saying to the world that
Japan is trying to subjugate portions
Of China.
That is exactly what Is happening.
In spite Of the declaration Of the
Japanese statesmen that their mill.
tary machine is only protecting
Japanese nationals. the whole af.
fair may be treated as pure hypoc.
risy-as a movement by the Jap
anese to gain control OF new re.
sources, new land, over which the
tesning millions from Japan may
run as the hordes Of Chinese are
displaced. The whole thing shows
how long we have been fooled by the
responsiveness Of the Japanese
statesmen.
You may ask: What can we do
about It? The answer Is exceeding
ly difficult. I have fear that we
can do nothing because Of the In
ternational policies that the United
States pursued during the admins.
trations Of Presidents Coolidge and
Hoover and those that are continu-
ing under President Roosevelt.
Only once in recent years did
the American government speak out
firmly concerning the apparent Jap.
anese plans and on that occasion
the assistance given the United
States by Great Britain and France
amounted to little more than a whis.
per.
So now the patience Of great
many people is wearing rather
thin. I think also, from what I hear
in diplomatic circles, that the Brit.
ish lion has begun to bare his teeth
and unsheath his claws. Again, to
what purpose I do not know, because
the United States and Great Britain
thus far have discussed no plan for
acting in unison. Certainly. with.
out concerted action between them
and including France. little can be
accomplished. It does seem that
they could get together because Of
the community Of interests but eth |
er the United States lacks leader
ship in the circumstance, or there
are some bugs under the British |
and French chips about which we
do not know. ! repeat that In the |
face Of Japan's devastating actions
and the ever-growing threat Of her
overlordship In the Far East, these
three powers ought to work out an |
understanding by which they can
trim the wings Of the Japanese war |
birds.
As the fighting continues on Chi.
1ese soil as one disturbing act
after another Is
Tough committed by the
Problem Japanese, / irnag.
inc many persons
are going to inquire why the United
States does not brave world dipIo.
macy and invoke the neutrality act.
In that eventuality. there ought to
De a clear understanding Of the
various implications and results
hat would flow from such an Amer.
can action. In the first instance,
Japan is now virtually self.sufficient
n the matter Of munitions. II we
Iaclara an aY1nharoo aoatns4 at,t.. |