Evening star., 1939-08-10
Jupunese-Axis Alliance

The deepening schism in the Jap
anese government over the question
of a military alliance with Germany
and Italy and rumblingS of discon-
tent among the extremist army
group which favors it are the roper
cussions of the Lake Como meeting
last week of the japanese Ambassa-
dors to Germany and Italy, at which
closer afhliation with the axis powers
was discussed.
The pro-axis faction in Japan,
represented by the younger army
officers, is turning on extreme pres
sure for an outright military alliance
with Berlin and Rome to replace the
anti-Communist pact, and so critical
has the situation become that the
"little cabinet" of the
Premier, foreign, war, navy and
finance ministers-has met almost
daily recently on the question.
Japanese Ambassadors in Berlin
and Rome have carried on sporadic
discussions of an alliance with Ger
man and Italian officials for nearly
a year, but both of them were so far
in advance of the Toxic government
that nothing concrete resulted. A
japanese military mission Is now en-
route to Europe. After visiting in
Italy this month it will 60 on to
Germany for the Nazi party congress.
1t will have the opportunity of ex-
ploring the question directly with
officials of the axis powers. But at
home the decision still is lacking
What the Japanese Army people
hope for in the alliance is not clear,
unless they plan a direct and forceful
liquidation of foreign interests in
China. In that event to have Ger
many and Italy ready to fight for
Japan's policies in China would be
of immense value. The striking
power of Britain and France in the
Far East could be drastically re-
duced, and If the United States re-
manned out of the conflict, as alliance
proponents are convinced it would,
Japan would have only Russian
opposition to deal with in seeking to
establish exclusive control over
China.
Against any such hope, however,
stands the more likely prospect that
Japan would be called upon to sup
port Germany and Italy in their ex-
pansion, thus diverting part of her
forces from their main task of sub
jugating and patrolling China.
These, at least, are the arguments
advanced by most of Japan's gov
ernment officials, some of the elder
army officers and spokesmen for the
navy, who are reported to be opposed
to the alliance.
The established policy of the Toxic
government, and the policy which it
wishes to be free to pursue in the
future, is to exploit the diplomatic
campaigns of Chancellor Hitler and
Premier Mussolini by intensifying
pressure against the Chinese or for
eign interests in China whenever the
attentions of Britain and France are
diverted by Italian aggres-
sions in Europe.
From the japanese point OF view
such strategy is the most profitable
because it provides the greatest gains
with the least danger. To advance
in the Far East when Britain and
France are thoroughly occupied with
European perils is tactic which the
Toxic government is loath to aban-
don in favor of a military alliance
which might divert Japan from her
own field of conquest-China.
On balance a military alliance with
Germany and Italy would be tre-
mendously speculative venture for
Japan. But with the support of the
powerful army group, which several
times In the past has forced the
government to accept its demands,
the possibility of it's conclusion is
not to be ruled ont