Evening star., 1938-10-30
Capture of Canton by Japan
Seen Threat to British Empire
Commercial Importance of Hong Kong Disappears
as Once.Prosperous Port Becomes
Second.Rate Naval Base.
By Constantine Brown.

~ ~ OSsctOSs
The Unexpectedly rapid fall Of Canton
and the impending collapse Of Chang Kai-
shek's resistance are causing alarm in the
democratic capitals. Will the Toxic mill
tarists be satisfied with the eventual elm
nation Of the Chinese generalissimo and
allow the Western powers to maintain q
pale shadow Of their former influence in
China. or will they attempt to drive them
out Of the Asiatic continent by force? If
Toxic thinks that it has had enough to
chew and settles down to digest that enor-
NOUS slice Of China, there will be no Of
fensive moves against the territorial pos
sessions Of the Westerners in the Far East.
II, on the other hand, the rulers of Japan
consider this the best moment to end the
influence of the Western powers and to
establish once and for all pan -Asiaticism
under the leadership of Japan, spectacular
moves may once more bring war to the
threshold OF the United States.
The unanimous opinion Of the diplomats
OF the Western powers is that the answer to
the puzzle must be sought in Berlin and
Rome rather than in Toxic. The situation
can be summed up in the following sem
tence: If Hitler and Mussolni, despite the
advantages Of the Munich pact, are deter
mined to wage war on the democratic sys-
tenn Of government, they will encourage
Japan to 60 the limit by keeping the Euro
pean and East Asiatic front simmering. If
they want to live in harmony with the
democratic states they will thumbs down"
any further attempt Of the japanese to
drive the British and the French out Of
their present Asiatic possessions. This can
be done by speeding up arrangements for
Temporary lasting peace" In Europe.
Second-Rate Naval Base.
With the fall Of Canton the commercial
importance OF Britain's crown colony, Hong
Kong, has disappeared. The once prosper
Gus port has now become merely a second
rate naval base. Chinese, British, American
and Dutch importers who have been doing
thriving business for three or four genera
tions are closing their warehouses and
moving out. But while its commercial i'm
portance has vanished Hong Kong's politi-
cal value is greater than ever. It is the
last British outpost under the very nose of
the japanese. II Great Britain were COM
PEELED to evacuate Hong Kong under the
pressure Of the japanese guns she would
not lose town; she would not lose naval
base; she would seriously risk losing her
grip on Asia. The repercussions Of such q
surrender would be tremendous throughout
the Far East and India. The dormant vol
cano Of Asia would erupt with a force
which Britain could no longer suppress.
There are $4,000 900 persons in India who
are kept under the rule Of the British by
10000 British troops Arabia now par
TALLY in rebellion, would rise against British
domination. The very foundations of the
empire would be shaken as they have never
been before
The British Isles are badly placed at the
present moment. The capital of the empire
should be somewhere closer to its heart.
Britain proper is nothing but a showroom
for the products of far-flung empire. The
connecting wires which keep that empire
together are in London. as are the British
naval and air forces Show those subjected
or affiliated nations that the military might
OF Great Britain is powerless and the
British Empire ceases to exist.
Little for Britain to Gain.
The blows British prestige has suffered
during the last three years-since the ILL
advised naval demonstration against Italy
have weakened the prestige of London, but
there still is definite conviction among the
dominions and colonies that after all Europe
Is OF secondary Importance and the British
were right in not fighting to keep Mussolini
out of Ethiopia or Hitler out of Czechoslo-
vakia. A strictly realistic survey showed
Baldwin's and Chamberlains followers that
there was little to be gained and much to
be lost from British Intervention in the
European mess. But the situation would
turn tragic should the japanese endeavor to
repeat Mussolini's and Hitlers feats at the
expense Of Great Britain.
That the Toxic rulers have notions" re-
garding the crown colony Of Hong Kong
is known, although not officially admitted
by London diplomats. 1t was in 1882
that Ambassador Shidehara called in
formally at the foreign Office on one of
those routine visits to exchange views and
thoughts" with the foreign secretary.
Shidehara said casually and Completely
on his own initiative" that the time might
come when 1t would be advisable for the
British government to allow the Japanese
to police Hong Kong. Shidehara referred
to possible disturbances in that colony
caused by the antagonism between the
Chinese and the Japanese populations and
expressed the belief that the British way
full to the japanese people and cause unde-
sirable misunderstanding between two
great nations which have been on friendly
terms for 50 many years.
The threat to Hong Kong now that the
Japanese are established in Canton is
particularly serious because the European
crisis has not yet been liquidated and Brit
ain therefore cannot move its naval and
air forces out Of the North Atlantic.
At present British naval and air strength
in the Far East Is negligible. There is an
Asiatic squadron concentrated in Hong
Kong composed of County class heavy
cruisers, l antiquated airplane carrier.
destroyers, IS submarines and other auxili-
aries without combat value. This division
Is unable, of course, to face the Japanese.
Not Yet Disbanded.
The British admiralty has not yet dis
handed the Ea stern Mediterranean detach.