Evening star., 1940-09-26
Aggression Alliance?

OF lmmeaSurable magnitude are
implicit in indications that a totali-
tartan bloc, consisting of Germany,
Italy, Spain and Japan, is in the
making. Spade work was done last
week when Herr Won Ribbentrop
conferred with Premier Mussolini
and Count Ciano. While they nego-
tiated in Rome, Spanish Government
Minister Suner tarried in Berlin.
Now comes word that the Japanese
Ambassador to Italy has been drawn
into the orbit of axis diplomatic
maneuvering, with particular en-
phaSis on Japan'S advance into
French Indo- China"
Repercussions of these momen-
touS developments were prompt to
manifest themselves in Washington.
The United States interest in the
mooted quadruple alliance is very
tangible, especially its effect in the
Far East. Secretary Hull took prompt
occasion, when Japan moved into
IndO-China this week, to reaftirm
American resentment of action
which upSets that status quo in the
Pacific to which this country is un-
equivocally committed. That the
United States may resort to protest
measures short of war; is con-
tingency which fills militariSt- con-
trolled Toxic with genuine anxiety.
EmbargoeS on exports of oil and
scrap iron, perhaps even clamp on
imports Of japanese silk, are among
the possibilities which the island
empire can view only with grave
alarm.
The project to link Japan and
Spain with the axis powers is trans
parently of Nazi inspiration. 1t
springs from Hitlers need to devise
new pressures to bring Great Britain
to terms. since his LuftWaffe has
failed to demonstrate its capacity to
soften" the British to the point
either of surrender or easy invasion.
BY melting Toxic to join in the war,
Hong Kong, Singapore, Burma, Aus
tralia and New Zealand would be
threatened, requiring diversion from
Europe and the Mediterranean of
Sorcly needed British defensive
forces. Spain'S adhesion to the to-
talitarian war bloc is craved for the
same reason, because the bait Of
fered to General Franco is Gibraltar,
besides the lions share of Morocco,
which the Spaniards also covet.
How long such a combination OF
armed might as the four-poWer to-
talitarian bloc would abstain from
ventures in the Pacific or elsewhere.
directly prejudicial to the United
States, cannot be foreshadowed. But
with French Indo-China. the Dutch
East Indies, Siam and British Asia
under japanese domination and axis
protection, the Philippines might be
in immediate jeopardy. Doubtless,
not the least of Hitler's considera-
tionS, subjugation Of Britain being
his basic objective, is to divert the
United States attention to the Far
East, and thus require this country
to curtail, if not entirely cut off, the
flow of war materials on which the
British are now so dependent. The
Nazis also probably do not leave out
of account the expectation that the
American fleet, faced by the men
ace Of an unsupported Japan,
would be tied to the Pacific, thus
magnifying an Italo-German-Span-
iSh threat to the Western Hemi-
sphere, if Britain goes down.
1t is desperate game which Hit
Ter, MuSSolini, Franco and the jap
anese war lords are pondering, in
pursuance of their common banker
ing for "a new world order" But it
is heartening to know that insofar
as their SchemingS impinge upon
American interests, Washington is
alert to all the possibilities and perils
involved. There is no reason to sus-
pect there will be any recession from
our well-knoWn position.
More urgent than ever becomes the
need for maximum speed in Amer
lean defense plans. Any delay in
promoting them would play the ag-
gressors' game almost as effectively
as aDnea Sement