Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-10-20

the Konoye government several
weeks ago. He expects to sail from
San Francisco for Toxic Friday
aboard the Japanese steamship AS
ANA Maru.
Farewell Visit to Hull.
His personal relations with State
Department officials ended on the
same pleasant note that has pre-
vailed during his stay here when
he called on Secretary of State Hull
Yesterday to say goodbye. Smiling
affably, he told reporters he had a
friendly farewell visit. with no mat
tiers of state discussed
There would not have been much
Of a pleasant and friendly nature
to talk about if the Secretary and
departing Ambassador had gone
beyond the personal amenities.
japanese American relations have
deteriorated steadily since Mr.. Ho-
rinouchl came here, through no
fault of his own. The policies and
actions OF his government have
brought increasingly stern opposi-
ton from this Government.
He hardly had got settled after
his arrival here when a formal note
to the Japanese government on De-
cember 81, 1888, set out the policy
on which this opposition is based,
telling Japan once and for all that
the United States could not assent
to her plans for new order" in
East Asia that would deprive Amer
leans Of long established rights.
Got Nowhere in Job.
Mr.. Horinouchi got nowhere in
trying to bring this Government
around to a more amenable atti-
tude toward japanese aims.
Part of his job was to try to i'm
prove commercial relations, to pave
the way for Japan to sell more goods
here and buy in United States mar
kets more of the things she needs.
But he had been here barely
more than six months when Secre:-
tary Hull announced abrogation 81
the old commercial treaty with ia
pan, clearing the legal way for i'm
position of a complete embargo
against Japan if such action ever
should be decided upon.
Then, within the last few months,
as Japans tie-up with the Rome
Berlin axis became clearer and she
upset the status quo in the Pacific
by moving into Indo-China, this
Government began tightening the
economic screws
Aviation gasoline, sorely needed
by Japan to fuel her warplanes, was
embargoed. There hardly was a
breathing spell until the embargo
was extended to scrap iron and
steel, necessary material for the
Japanese munitions industry which
she had been buying in large guam
titles here.
Advice to Leave Danger Spots.
1t was after Mr.. Horinouchi was
called home but before he could get
away that the increasing flrmness
OF United States policy in opposition
to the Japanese dreams OF an en-
pire over all East Asia was empha-
sized by Official advice for Amer
leans to leave potential danger spots
In the Far East while transportation
was available.
All these measures caused the
Japanese spokesman in Toxic, who
had been warning boldly that the
United States would get into war If
she opposed Japan too far, to be-
gin talking with less belligerence
and more soothing assurances that
the Nipponese drive was not aimed
1T this country.
The strain, the tension in Jap
anese-American relations is still
there, however. 1t remains to be
seen whether japanese policy will
change enough to make the Am
bassador's job here any more pleas
ant for Mr. Horinouchi's successor.
Three Ships to Aid Evacuees.
The State Department stands firm,
announcing only yesterday detailed
plans for the voyages OF two OF the
three big ships being sent on special
trips to Japan and China to help
evacuate American citizens whose
response to the official advice to
leave has swamped the regular ship
service.
Only American citizens. including
alien spouses and unmarried minor
children. will be given passage on
the special vessels. The S. S. Monte
rev, which sailed from Los Angeles
Wednesday. will call at Yokohama
on October % to pick up 425
evacuees, and at Shanghai Novem-
Der to get another AS, the de-
psrtment announced.
The S. S. Mariposa, which will |