Evening star., 1938-06-19
Japan$ Military Machine


from Berlin and Rome that the war ma
terial was merely secondhand junk which
was being sold to China to provide the
Berlin-Rome axis with much needed for
eign exchange.
Falkenhauser Is Recalled.
Power -thirsting tiger" Ugaki lost no
time in serving notice on Berlin and Rome
that this underhand assistance to China
must cease. He had deep suspicion that
his white allies might not play the game
as Toxic wanted Within a week after
the resignation of Hirota, Gen. Falken-.
hausen and his staff were recalled. The
Rome and Berlin governments issued strict
orders that all shipments of arms and
ammunition to Far Eastern ports, with
the exception of those for Japan, must
cease forthwith.
In the meantime. Gen Araki has taken
in hand the internal situation with the
assistance Of the minister Of interior, Ad-
miral Suetsugi, who few months ago de-
clared that "All the white people must
be chased out of China Araki Is the
Goebbels Of Japan. A strong advocate
Of the class system, he wants the old
Samurai order re-established He be-
lieves that the ancient japanese traditions
and philosophy of life must be restored
and European influence reduced to q
shadow.
To complete the picture Seihen Ikeda,
former president of the Mitsui Bank and
governor Of the National Bank of Japan,
has been made minister of finance, COM
merce and industry. He is considered the
equal OF Dr.. Schacht, former German
minister of finance, in his ability to create
credits out of thin air.
With this ultra -nationalistic and militia
ristic set-up, Japan is determined to prose-
Whatever mild opposition there was among
the politicos of the country has disappeared
Foes of the administration are invited to
commit hara-kiri. Should this invitation
be ignored the police authorities produce
an equivalent result In this manner all
organized opposition has been silenced.
Navy Being Groomed.
The nation is now in the process Of be-
coming completely modified. The navy
which since Shanghai has played a Sec
ondary role in Japans war for aggrandize-
ment, is preparing for spectacular task
It is expected to assist the air forces in the
conquest of Canton after the japanese
bombers have razed the city. Islands close
to Singapore are being transformed into
submarine bases for future operations"
Though there is inevitable distrust of ia
pans European allies among the nationalist
members of the present government, Toxic
is'still prepared to play with Germany and
Italy and take advantage of any imbroglio
in Europe to further embarrass France and
Great Britain in the Far East. The gen.
erals at the head of the japanese govern
ment believe that If they can get the Brit.
ish and the French out Of the Far East,
they will have no difficulty in preventing
the others, the Germans and the Italians,
from obtaining foothold in the exclusive
reservation Of the japanese Empire in the
Orient-China.
Under these circumstances, 1t is natural
that the high command of the American
Navy should have accepted with misgivings
instructions from the White House that the
United States fleet, which for the last five
years has been based in the Pacific, should
show its flag in the Atlantic Ocean. The
admirals don't like political maneuvers and
believe the forthcoming months will wit
ness strange developments in the Pacific.
They look with concern at the map, which
reveals how helpless the possessions of Hol-
land, Great Britain, France and the United
States in the Pacific are at the present mo-
ment, and how much more helpless they
will become when the fleet transfers to the
Atlantic somewhere south Of the Equator.
Countering the gallant resistance of the
Chinese, there is not shadow of doubt
that the japanese drive will be stepped up
to the uttermost in the course of this sum-
mer; drive which might well extend TO
regions other than those Of China proper.
(Copyright, 1889