Evening star., 1940-03-23
japanese Puppet Show

japanese Puppet Show
Japan's army-ridden government
has now decided that its puppet gov
ernment of Central China" headed
by Wang Ching is to be inaugu-
rated at Nanking on March 30. A
so-calEed and Japanese sponsored
central political conference" this
week abolished the names of the
North China provisional govern
ment" and the Central China re-
formed government" Both of those
regimes henceforth will be merged
into a dominant central govern
ment," with which Toxic and the
army will deal in pursuit of the
new order" it is proposed to set up
in the occupied country.
Japan's disturbed relations with
western powers, notably the United
States, are apparently to remain in
a state OF suspension pending the
results of the adventurous expert
ment Wang Ching-wei is about to
launch. The program of complete
subjugation of China to Japan,
under which the renegade former
premier of the old Nationalist gov
ernment accepts Office, holds out
little hope that Washington, London
or Paris will ever recognize as true
representatives of the Chinese ma
tion the marionettes shortly to be
Installed at Nanking. American
relations with China are likely for
the indefinite future to be main
tanned with the Chang Kai-shek
government at Chungking.
Tokio's claim that the Wang
Ching-wei central government"
means the restoration of China to
the Chinese is, of course, the hol-
lowest of mockeries. For months
Toxic has sought to create the i'm
preston that the "basic terms"
drawn up by Wang and the army
were 'lenient." Emphasis was put
upon the claim that Japan sought
no territory or indemnities and upon
her pledge to respect China's sover-
eighty. At the end of January there
was published what purported to be
a photostat of the actual pact signed
by Wang and the Japanese. The
puppet-premier admitted next day
that while some of the terms were
subsequently modified the photostat
was an accurate version of the con-
ditions upon which the imperial
army offered its support to the new
regime. The "lenient terms" included
the following provisions:
Designation of North China and
Mongolia as special zone for de-
fense and economic development for
Japan.
Establishment in North China
Consisting of Hopeh, Shansi, Shan
tung and part Of Honan) and in
Mongolia of separate local regimes
with broad autonomous powers.
Recognition of Japan's economic
predominance in the lower Yangtze
Valley and of her paramount posi-
tion in certain islands along the
coast.
Indemnifcation of the japanese
for all losses suffered since the begin
ming of the war.
The stationing of Japanese troops
in various areas for an indefinite
period and the reservation to Japan
OF the right to claim and SUPERVISE
all communication facilities therein.
The Wang regime is to take over
both the name and the flag of the
present national government of the
republic of China, but even this sub
terfuge will deceive neither the still
unconquered sections of China nor
the outside world. Generalissimo
Chang still commands formidable
forces capable of sustaining guerrilla
warfare, Japan's internal economic
difficulties become increasingly seri-
GUS, her foreign relations-with
Britain, America and Russia-are
strained to the breaking point.
Among these three factors the pos
sibility persists that before she
plunges finally into the abyss OF
national bankruptcy and utter inter-
national discredit, Japan may seek
to end her undeclared war on China
under conditions more or less toler-
able to the nation which has so
tenaciously resisted the invaders for
nearly three years.
The vassalage which the Chinese
people would accept under Wang
would mean the reduction Of their
country to the status of a japanese
serf state. Nothing indicates that
Chiang's supporters as yet are ready
to accept such a fate.
kAonn& Ekn~ A--:~