Evening star., 1939-06-23
Trade With japan

With another crisis brewing in the
Far East, due to further Japanese
aggression, it is high time for the
American public to give deep
thought to the part that Amer
lean trade with Japan plays in the
whole Sino-Japanese drama. In 1888
the United States exported to Japan
$10,142,000 worth of automobiles and
trucks, most Of which were used in
the undeclared war on China; hence
the charge that the Japanese war
machine moves on American-made
wheels. In the same year we sup
piled Japan with $52,85O,OOO worth
of cotton, much of which preSum-
ably was transformed into explosives
with the aid of some of the IS, ,728, 900
worth of chemicals we sold her in
1888. American oil and gasoline
worth $27,OO0,0OO fabricated and pow
cred the aforesaid war machine. OF
the iron and steel, including scrap
material, which Japan made into
bombs and shells and guns and other
implements of war last year, more
than $22,000,0O0 worth came from
the United States.
1t should be fairly obvious that the
United States by adhering to dis
passionate on-interventioniSt policy
in the Far East conflict, has found
itself, nevertheless, in the unenviable
role OF silent partner to the japanese
invaders. American manufactured
and raw materials have undeniably
enabled Japan to prolong and in
tensify her subjugation of China. And
as her campaign has progressed,
Japan's arrogant defiance of inter
national treaties and her disregard of
the rights of other interests in war
torn China have reached unprece-
dented heights. While accepting all
she can get in the way of war sup
plies from other powers, Japan has
attempted by highhanded tactics,
which in any previous era would
have called for prompt and drastic
reprisals, to cut off all foreign trade
with her luckless victim.
Under existing world conditions
Japans mailed fist has encoun-
tered so far little more than kid
gloved diplomacy, bulwarked by an
occasional landing of marines or
maneuvering of gunboats. AS time
goes on, she seems to become less
and less impressed by these mild
protests. There are, however, as has
been pointed out, methods short of
war" which might bring Japan to
her senses. Undoubtedly the Presi-
dent, in mentioning such methods
had foremost in his mind the ques-
tion of economic sanctions against
aggreSsors when American self
interest dictated. Mere mention of
punitive embargoes in the past has
precipitated strange storms of opposi-
ton, arising chiefly from undisguised
fears that such methods" would be
tantamount to declaration of war.
Insofar as Japan is concerned, such
fears, when coolly analyzed, are
absurd. Japan herself obviously does
not consider the blockade of Tientsin,
nor her efforts to cut off outside trade
with China as acts of war. She has
learned by long experience that the
western powers are thick skinned.
She knows, and has capitalized upon
the established fact, that it takes far
more to provoke a war today than
would have been the case two or
three decades ago. Applying this
truth to her own case it can hardly
be conceived that with Japan's hands
full in China and with Russia at her
elbow, adequately stern and uncom-
promising reprisals in the form of an
embargo in response to her ruthless
disregard of our interests would lead
to war.
This government has no inten-
tion, OF course, of pulling Brit
aims chestnuts out of the fire at
Tientsin, but the United States can
not afford to lose sight of the fact
that its chestnuts are in the fire at
Swatow and Shanghai and Annoy.
Certainly, if the japanese continue
their methods short of war" against
neutrals in China, the time must
come when the offended parties will
be forced to adopt such methods in
self defense. Time has amply estab-
lshed that this is the only sort of
representation" short of armed
conflict, that would make the Toxic
war lords sit up and take notice.