The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1940-01-24
U. S. Pushing Japan
TO Closer Relations
With Russia
By SCOTT NEARING
Federated Press)

Federated Press)
On January 26 the u. S.-Japanes
trade treaty expires. The decision o
Washington to end this treaty force
upon Toxic a momentous choice
Until very recently Japan has de
pended upon the western empires
From them she obtained the equip
ment and technical skill needed to in
dustrialize her economy.
Japanese economy has relied to ;
considerable extent on the U. S. fol
the purchase of its greatest cash ex
port-raw silk. During the Japanese
Chinese war, more than half of ia
pans imported military supplies have
come from the u. S. So long as ia.
pan accepted the economic and polit
ical support of Britain and the U. S.
her policies must be shaped with one
eye on their interests.
Recently Japanese statesmen have
been hesitating between a policy that
would link them to the western EN-
pires and one that would tie them
to the Asiatic mainland. They have
repeated their intention of setting up
a new order in Asia Not until the
signing of the nazi-soviet pact in the
summer of 1889 did they make their
final decision againsh the western en-
pires in favor of Asia.
Toxic has been moving away from
the west and toward Asia for several
years. The invasion of Manchuria
North Thfno hrnnnbf tho
nese face to face with the problem
of British and American interests in
those territories.
At the beginning of the Manchurian
invasion they met this problem with
evasive promises to respect imperial
property accompanied by a series of
acts that converted the territory into
a sphere dominated by Japanese bus
mess interests. AS the war in China
has developed, the Japanese have
shown themselves more and more hos
tile to other foreign interests. In
stead of preserving the open door,
they have set up trade monopolies.
What will Japan substitute for the
British and American support which
she is evidently relinquishing? There
seems to be one quite obvious answer:
an alliance with the soviet union.
Last summer, after a series of bitter
military struggles in Outer Mongolia,
the Japanese army gave up the idea
Of defeating the soviet union on the
battlefield and agreed to truce. Only
recently the fisheries question and the
problem of making final payments on
the sale of the Chinese Eastern Rail-
way by Russia to Manchuria were
both settled to the satisfaction of
Russia.
Since then a number of commits
sions have been appointed to deter
mine the boundary lines between the
soviet union and Japanese-controlled
territory. Russian and Japanese rep
resentatives are negotiating general
agreement covering economic and po-
liticaf collaboration.
Several factors enter into the Jap
anese decision to make an alliance
with the soviet union. One of these
is the weakness of the empires-nota
bly, Great Britain-in the episodes
preceding the outbreak of the Euro
pean war. Another is the need of
support in the struggle with the U. S.
for the control of the Pacific. With
London and Washington closely col
and with Berlin and Mos
COW allied, Japan can get that support
only from the soviet union.
Perhaps the most important factor
is the growing power of the soviet |
in China. For 10 years the |
Japanese have worked night and day |
to smash the Chinese soyiets.
There seems now to be no question |
but that the end of the present Chi |
war will see the Chi |
nese soviets permanently and strong |
y entrenched in a great portion of |
north central China The war has not |
killed Chinese sovietism, it has slim
Ilated it. Japan cannot crush the
Chinese soviets. She must deal with
hem.
Japanese statesmen are nothing If
not realists. The events of the last
lew years in Asia have convinced
hem that the future lies with the
'oviets, not with the empires. The
greater the pressure which Washing
on brings to Japan, the more speed
ly will Toxic and Moscow patch up
heir Differences.