Evening star., 1940-09-27
The Scrap Embargo

Announcement Of an embargo on
shipments to Japan of all types of
iron and steel scrap may be regarded
as putting a few more teeth in
American foreign policy as applied
to the Far East.
AS a long-range proposition, the
embargo, assuming prolongation of
the European war, is very serious
matter for Japan. In 1889 the
Japanese purchased an estimated
81 per cent of their iron and steel
scrap in this country. With other
markets closed to her by the de-
mands of the embattled nations in
Europe, Japan over period of years
faces the prospect of the crippling
of her war machine, already heavily
involved in China. But we cannot
afford to assume that the Japanese
will permit the embargo gradually
to undermine her military strength
without making some effort to pre-
vent it.
In the present situation the Japa-
nese appear to be obliged to elect
between one of two courses. The
first is to come to terms with the
United States. That election in
wolves abandonment of her ambitions
toward creation of Greater Asia"
with Japan directing its destiny, and,
while that choice cannot be ruled
out entirely, we would be foolish in
the extreme to base our planning
upon it.
Japan's other course, and the one
which we must anticipate that she
will take, lies in pursuing an even
more aggressive policy-either alone
or in open collaboration with the
totalitarian powers of Europe. II
the rulers of Japan should elect to
strike now while their nation is
relatively stronger than it will be in
year or two years hence-a decision
which seems foreshadoWed by de-
velopments in Tokio-the people Of
the United States must be prepared
to face the fact that mere embargo
on scrap shipments will not deter
the militarists of the Far East.
During the past six years we have
sold the japanese 85O0000 tons of
scrap iron. They have used this
material to construct a powerful war
machine, including an estimated
100000 tons of warships, and it may
be supposed that they have on hand
a reserve adequate to supply the
immediate needs of any undertaking
they may launch in the Asiatic area.
In these circumstances, ordinary
prudence requires that we resign
ourselves to withdrawing from the
Far East in the face of a show Of
force by Japan, move which might
prove to be a fatal backward step
for us, or prepare now for the adop-
ton Of far stronger policy than is
inherent in any embargo.
The people of America, as Paul v.
McNutt, Federal Security Admins
traitor, expressed it yesterday, have
been tragically slow in conditioning
themselves, both physically and
psychologically, to maintain their
position in world in which the
disciples of rule by force are on the
march. We have been beguiled by
the false prophets who have believed
that we could live apart in peace
and security while the other democ-
racies went down to destruction,
and the shackles of that illusion
have proved hard to cast off. But
now, from all indications, the hour
is close at hand when the necessity
of making a choice is to be thrust
upon us, when we must decide
whether we are going to act decisively
now, while we have one potential
ally left. or whether we shall con-
tinue to pursue an uncertain, ineffec-
tive course to the point where we
may find ourselves alone in a COM
munity of major powers universally
hostile to U.S.