Evening star., 1939-09-24

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Of people in all sections of the coun-
try is whether the United States will
remain outside the present world con-
f1ict. It is important in this connec-
tion to read the repeated statements
made by President Roosevelt from the
day the European conflict started.
When the President at press confer
ence gave the people of the United
States the assurance that this country
will not be dragged into q war "in
Europe" his fingers were not crossed,
neither was his tongue in his cheek.
But 1t must be emphasized that Mr..
Roosevelt referred only to Europe. There
was no occasion for him to speak Of
other sections of the world, such as
the Far East, where American inter-
ests are otherwise involved than across
the Atlantic. He did not commit him
self to say that this country will re-
main neutral whatever may happen in
other parts of the globe.
And 1t must be said right now that
the administration is watching with
utmost concern and care the develop
ments in the Pacific, and naval meas
ures may shortly be taken to warn
Japan that she has not got free field
in the Southern Pacific because the
other western powers are at each others
throats in a stupid, suicidal war.
Believed Japan Bagxed.
When the non-aggression pact be-
tween the Reich and the Soviet Union
was signed in Moscow, the wishful
thinkers jumped to the conclusion that
all was of between Germany and Japan.
Some irrepressible optimists in London
and Paris went so far as to believe that
Japan was bagged as in 1914 and that
she might be used as a club against
the Soviet bear. Insignificant frontier
incidents which occurred after the Rib
bentrop- Moloton pact was signed were
increased hundredfold, although those
who knew the Far Eastern situation
realized that these were nothing but
the usual border incidents which had
been going on for several years.
The more cautious diplomats in Lon
don and Paris did not swallow the op-
timism of some Of their collaborators,
but did believe that an irreparable breach
had occurred between the Reich and
Japan. They did not want to under
stand that the Russo German pact
meant nothing but temporary scare
in Toxic and that what was binding
Japan to Germany and Italy was the
predatory idea Of the have-nots. Hence
Japan did not worry about the fact
that Herr Hitler had found some points
in common with the Russian Com
munism. But it worried lest the war
into which Hitler had been drawn
might result in defeat for Germany,
with all its unpleasant consequences on
Japan-if Japan continued to remain on
the same side Of the fence.
The Toxic cabinet resigned. A new
government was installed It was the
same kind Of government as the previous
one with different personalities. Instead
OF banging the table and ordering the
Westerners out of China, the new admin
istration ordered its representatives in
Shanghai and elsewhere to put on top
hats and whie gloves and politely inform
the whites that it was time to get out of
Shanghai. The method had been tenn
porarily changed, but not the detectives
U. S. Hears of Expedition.
In the meantime, while the japanese
spoke softly and politely, news reached
certain quarters in Washington that the
concentration of the japanese navy con-
tinued; that the armies in the South
had been strengthened and that trans
ports were kept in readiness to take an
expeditionary force somewhere" farther
south.
Washington showed an unusual skep-
ticism to the alleged change of heart Of
the japanese government. And this skep-
ticism was well founded.
The Japanese watched with keen pro-
fessional eye the advance of the German
armies into Poland. Japanese military
observers are reported to have been
given ringside seat at the Polish Ger
man bout. And they were amazed at the
ease with which the Germans knocked
olt the Poles. They, too, at the outset
OF the campaign were somewhat doubt
full of the ability of the Reich's forces to
annihilate the Polish armies. These high
ranking of11cers-many of them had been
active in the campaign in China-were
taking with a grain of salt Won Brauch-
1tschs boast that the Polish campaign
would be merely a military march and
that the Polish resistance would be
broken in less than month.
japanese Applaud Feat.
But when the Polish lines began to
break and 1t became obvious that the
Polish general stah had no concrete plan
OF resistance, that everything was hap
hazard and divisions were fighting on
their own account, the Japanese rushed
back to Berlin and informed their gov
ernment OF the victory Of the German or
ganization, and implied that If the Allies
did not accept Hitler's peace terms they
would have pretty stiff fight on their