Evening star., 1940-01-28

secretary. a wave of disappointment
gripped the administration.
Mr.. Arita is smooth, sauve PROPOSE
ton. He is known to be in full sympathy
with the theology of the army-a tre-
mendous Japanese expansion in Asia. His
slogan, like that of the army leaders, is
asia for the Asiatics." He is too diplo-
matte to shout this from the house,
tops; he plays the diplomatic game with
astuteness. But his views are known and
his presence in the foreign office fore
bodies nothing good for future American
Japanese relations.
The first reaction of the State Depart
ment to Arita's appointment was an un-
equivocal mo" to inquiries from Toxic as
to whether this Government was pre-
pared to start conversations for another
treaty of commerce. The reason for this
refusal was that the initiation of such
negotiations would make it unethical to
adopt whatever new duties the admins
tration might have in view to impose on
Japanese goods. 1t would also make it
difficult to prevent the shipping Of cer-
tain types Of American products across
the Pacific.
More Changes in Prospect.
The form taken by the change Of gov
ernment in Toxic does not necessarily
mean that all hopes for liberal govern
ment in Japan have been abandoned.
Under the pressure Of the economic sit
uation there still is possibility that
other more drastic and possibly dra-
matte changes may occur in the Empire
of the Rising Sun. But for so long as
the present stalemate exists In Europe,
trained observers here believe that the
military will continue to have the whip
hand.
Japan plays an important role in the
German war plans. AS in the case OF
Italy, the Germans have told the jap
anese to mark time, look around and
wait for their opportunity. change Of
policies in Japan must have the consent
of the Emperor, who has the final say
in the country's affairs. But he In turn
leans for advice on the military, who
have been able to convince him that
playing with the totahtarians is more
profitable and in keeping with Japan's
tradition than playing with the so-called
democracies; that is to say, countries in
which the parliamentary form Of gov
ernment is the official one.
Dislike Soviet Pact.
It is true that the apple cart Of the
military was somewhat, shaken-but not
upset-when the Germans signed an
alliance with Moscow The advice from
Berlin, wait and see." was taken with
grain of salt. Toxic, including the mill
tary, did not quite know what to make
of this new situation. Berlin assured the
Far Eastern appendix of the axis that it
need not fear any hostility on the part
of Russia and that it would be advisable
to make no drastic changes in Japans
internal and external policies for while,
at least. Furthermore, it was known to
Japan that Herr Won Ribbentrop, who
still exercising pressure on the Neither
lands government, has intimated, some
what bluntly, to Queen Wilhelmina's
government that the time may come
when they will not be able to prevent
japanese expansion towards the south.
When the Germans did no large
scale fighting the japanese, who are as
uncertain about others as they are about
themselves, looked and listened. They
wondered whether the soft-spoken words
of the British and the French ambassa-
doris at Toxic could be true-that Ger
many is already breathless. But when
it appeared that the allies themselves
were taking few military steps to down
the enemy, an element of doubt entered
their minds. 1t was during this period
that Japanese emissaries began coming
to Washington to whisper the tale Of
radical changes in Japan's policy toward
the United States. It was at that time
that inspired suggestions were offered
for the blackjacking of the military by
the U. S. A. abrogating the treaty of
1911.
There still is possibility that the
effects of the abrogation of the treaty
of 1911 might force the Japanese En-
peror to call in genuinely liberal cabi-
net. What will happen in the Pacific
depends to great extent, not on what
new tariffs we may establish against
Japanese products, but on what is hap
pening on the Rhine, on the Danube
and in other parts of the world where
opposing armies may clash.