The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949, 1940-10-10
ECONOMIC HIGHLIGHTS

The new Japanese-Italian-G Ger.
man axis agreement did not come
as complete surprise to experts ir
this country: And, by the same
token, the Presidents embargo or
shipments of scrap to Nippon was
hardly unexpected. The vast weight
of American public opinion is
known to favor a strongly pro-
Chinese and anti-Japanese policy
The embargo would probably have
been effected some time ago, but a
few dissenters in the state depart
ment delayed matters. It may be
that the San Francisco speech of
Wendell Willkie, in which he
pledged himself to help China and
to oppose Japan's empire building
ambitions, was also a factor.
It was apparently a coincidence
that these two events should have
taken place within the same week.
In one way, it is good thing they
did-coming together, they served to
clear the air and put Japanese-Am-
er1can relations on a more realistic
basis. There is no more pretense
here Of regarding Japan as friend
~ power. Instead, we regard her as
a potential enemy of American in
terests. And now the question is,
What are likely to be the results of
the scrap embargo and the axis mil
itary pact?
The embargo is without doubt a
hard blow to Japan's militarists. We
have provided her in the past with
some 80 percent of the metals she
must have to keep her vast military
establishment going and growing.
She has no other possible source of
an adequate supply now-her to-
talitarian friends, Germany and
Italy, haven't enough for their own
needs, to say nothing of exports. It
Is the American hope that, totally
lacking as she will be from now on
In essential scrap, her military &C
tivity will gradually bog down. And
there are other steps we can take
If this one does not prove sufficient
ly effective. We could, for instance,
refuse to admit japanese silk into
this country, and by that single act |
deprive Nippon of her biggest and !
most profitable foreign market.
The new axis agreement does not !
mention the United States by name.
But it is obviously aimed at us-as
fascist spokesman have exultantly
observed. The meaning of the agree
ment is crystal clear. If we should
Join England i'm war against Ger
many and Italy, Japan is pledged
TO immediately attack us, thus max
ing it necessary for us to keep our
fleet in the Pacific and away from
european waters. And, on the other
S1de, IT we should go to war with
Japan, the other axis partners are
bound to help the Land of the Ris-
ng Sun with "an political, economic
and military powers" at their COM
nand. Ii
These are strong words, but some
eel that there is considerable bluff ,
'ehind them. AT the present time !
ne are helping England with every {
hing We have. We could hardly do
more If we were actually at war. {
BUT japanese newspapers, which are
government controlled and inspired, b
lave said that she does not regard s
'uch American aid to Britain as the 4
destroyer trade, as belligerent act. i
n other words, Japan, despite the I
obvious anger of her military men, {
certainly hasn't shown an eagerness
% fight. And If she did 60 to war
With us, it would obviously be i'm
,ossible for her to get significant t
lid from her allies so long as Eng t
and is fighting on and the mill
airy experts here are coming to the 1
'onclusion that England's position {
S getting stronger daily. d
Unanswered question so far is {
What effects this new pact will have
N Russian policy, and that may I
urn out to be the most important :
question involved. Unofficial Soviet S
pokesmen were shocked. For the G
1fferences between Russia and {
'apan are completely irreconcilable l
o Tar as anyone can see now, and '