Evening star., 1938-03-02
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE

From one of the best informed quar-
ters in the Far East there has just
reached this observer a letter dated as
recently as February 2 and sent by trans
Pacific Clipper airmail, which draws
graphic picture of the stone wall into
which the Japanese war machine has
run in its attempted conquest Of China.
The writer, who is in unique position to
speak authoritatively, says:
Japan has succeeded in driving the
Chinese Nationalist government and its
armies away from the coast, from
Shanhaikuan to Shanghai, and Is now
in occupation of the ruined and de-
populated cities of Shanghai, Hanchow,
Wusih, Soochow, Marking and Wuhu.
Japanese soldiers have 50 harried the
civilian population in the areas to which
they have penetrated that all of that
country is now completely PROSTATE.
They have Systematically killed off or
driven away the men, while the reports
that come from well-authenticated
sources Of their treatment Of the women
remind one of the stories of the Mongol
hordeS that swept through Asia and
Eastern Europe in the 18th and 18th CEN
turies, rather than the conduct of we'll
disciplined force sent abroad to accom-
plish the political purposes which the
Japanese leaders have constantly said
they wished to accomplish in China"
Contemplating what the future holds
the well-posted observer continues: Il
feel that the Japanese armies in China
have defeated their purposes. The coun-
try they have occupied has been so
devastated that they can never expect
the cooperation from the population
which they claimed to want. They
will have to retain permanently large
garrisons to hold the towns they occupy
and large force, in addition, to police
the roads along which supplies for their
troops will have to be carried. The
Japanese hoped they could quickly finish
the strife and call home their armies,
but I am afraid they have just begun
to enter upon the long process of con-
quest and paciflcation. 1t will cost them
all of the profit they ever hoped to make
out Of the adventure. In fact, I cannot
see how they can expect to get anything
out Of this business at all. They are
sinking into the morass that is China
and will sink beyond recall unless they
can soon pull themselves up. They have
defeated China, but I think they will
in the end discover that Chinas defeat
is their defeat"
Somebody asked Vice President Gar
ner the other day whether he expected
to emulate the exalted example of Mr..
Roosevelt and write pieces for the pa
pers. Cactus Jack replied substantially
in these words: ''The private views of
John Garner aren't worth q nickel.
The views of the Vice President are not
for SALE"
Despite the storm raging around the
head of Honest Harold" Ickes over his
Washington's birthday broadcast to the
British Empire on Democracy, or
What?" the Secretary Of the Interior,
series Of America Speaks" talks, which
the British Broadcasting Corp. has ar
ranged to spill over the airways on
which the sun never sets. Yesterday
the second address Of the series was
broadcast by Glenn Frank, chairman
Of the new Republican Program Com
mittee. On succeeding Tuesdays, speak
ers will include Myron Taylor, chair
man of the United States Steel Corp;
John L. Lewis, Dorothy Thompson,
President Conant of Harvard, Harry L.
Hopkins, Elmer Garter, editor Of Oppor-
tunity, and Herbert Hoover. While
speakers are assigned no definite topics,
it's understood their respective themes
will deal broadly with democracy, po-
ntical liberty, social welfare, economic
security and Anglo-American friendship.