Henderson daily dispatch., 1940-07-05
HENDERSON, IN. CJ DISPATCH FRIDAY,
BY CHARLES p. STEWART
Central Press COlumnist

Washing lOll, July 0.-Jdpdll mas us
spells OF being quite conciliatory in
its diplomatic conversations with
the United States. Thus far these in
tervals have conceded with periods
of comparative quiescence between
the European belligerents. But every
time there's been European crisis
the islanders have shown DISPOSE
ton 10 take advantage of it by moves
strongly indicative of an underlying
policy to grab everything available
in the Far East while the Occident's
too busy elsewhere to make its objec-
tons 10 such program effective.
The mikado is we'll aware that
Unclc Sam is dead against this sort
Of a Jap grabfest, because State Sec
rotary Hull has told him so plainly.
He's warned Tokyo that we Ameri-
cans would regard any Jap gobblings
OF The western powers Oriental pos
SESSIONS as calculated to demoraliZe
ali peaceful international relation
ships in the Pacific area.
Action, Not Words.
The mikado, on his part, has made
no DUmptious answer to these repre-
sensations. His actions are interpret
cd as speaking louder than words,
however.
He began by announcing, while the
Germans were busy conquering Hol-
land, that the Japanese couldn't ac-
quieSCe in any transfer of the owner
ship Of the Dutch East Indies. That
was all right with Uncle Sam. So
lar as he was concerned, he didn't
intend 10 seize the archipelago. He
simply wanted to feel sure that some
other country didn't seize it, maybe
cutting off Americas greatly need
cd supplies Of tin and rubber, for
which we're very dependent upon
these particular islands mines and
forests.
What your Uncle Samuel feared
was that Herr Hitler, having van
quished The Netherlands, might
claim them. He feared still more that
the Japs, forestalling the NaziS
would do the claiming. So the Japs
declaration that they desired only
TO have all outsiders keep hands of
the Dutch colonies was entirely sat-
isractory 10 Washington.
japanese Ceod Faith.
| don't say that the mikado's good
faith wasn't somewhat doubted by
the state department. Nevertheless
what he actually said sounded o. k
In fact, some of our legislators or
Capitol Hill began to favor policy
of Japanese "appeasement." They
thought it would be good idea fol-
us to conclude a nice, friendly treaty
with Tokyo, enabling us to transfer
our war fleet from the Pacific
through the Panama canal, to the
Atlantic, to guard our Pan-Americar
cast coast against the possibility OF
attempted Nazi-Fascist dirty WORK
from Europe.
This, Of course, was based on the
naive supposition that the mikadc
wasn't really bent upon the Japanl'
| cation of the entire eastern hemis'
phere at the expense Of ourselves
the British, the French, probably thu
Germans and Russians also, and, in.
deed, all the rest Of the Occident.
But before we got around to any
appeasement the Nazis and the Fas'
| cists had France on the run.
Allies Too Busy.
II had looked all along as if, witt
Herr Hitler on their hands, the Brl-
fish and French couldn't do much
toward defending their holdings If
Asia Frances collapse evidently
didn't leave the Japanese in any fur
Their doubt about it. Inside a few
hours they were landing big jar
forces on the Asiatic mainland al
around British Hongkong and French
Indo-China.
The impression is that they'll take
+ Hongkong and French lndO-Chlns
while they're about it and while the
British are too busy in Europe tt
protect Hongkong-and the French
won't signify, being already licked by
the Germans.
Then, presumably, the mikado viii
consider himself fixed to tackle Rus
STA.
+ Afterward, it's taken for granted
that he has an eye on Singapore, the
/ Dutch East Indies, perhaps the
Philippines, even Australia, New
! Zealand and India. Jap mllitarlst'
have talked about it for a generation
u two.
Our Own Hemisphere.
With all this going on, the Other
day Japan's ambassador TO Brazil it
ministers to Mexico, Panama, Cuba
Venezuela and Canada met with Jal
Ambassador Horinouchi, in Washing
ton, to plan a Jap monopoly of trade
with the Canadians and all the Latlr
| Americas.
AIIIrr