Evening star., 1940-07-19
'Appeosement' of Jupun

APPeoSement or J0pun
Fighting with her back to the
wall as Great Britain is, it i'll
becomes others to criticize such
action as his majesty's government
has seen fit to take in complying
with Japan's demand for closing
OF the Burma road. Certainly it is
not the intent Of Secretary Hull's
statement on that subject to suggest
that Britain is serving anything but
what she conceives to be her own
advantage. The State Departments
chief merely defines our own tradi-
tional attitude toward the issues in
question. "This Government" he
says, has legitimate interest in
keeping open arteries of commerce
in every part of the world and con-
siders that action such as this, If
taken, and such as was taken in
relation to the Indo-China rail-
way, would constitute unwarranted
interpretations of obstacles in world
trade"
Supplementing this pronounce
ment, Secretary Hull Wednesday was
given further opportunity to eluci-
date the American position. Nazi
spokesmen had claimed that the
United States had failed to protest
against the British blockade of
Germany, which the Hitlerites
apparently also consider an "unwar-
ranted interposition of obstacles in
world trade" Mr.. Hull had a prompt
and easy answer to that taunt. In
the first place, he points out, the
cases are not parallel, because the
blockade is recognized by interrfa-
tional law, while the Burma road
closing presents an entirely different
legal problem. Second, Germany is
reminded, even If international law
countenanced the closing in war.
Japan is without status in invoking
the latter because she is waging an
undeclared war on China.
The British governments action
came under fire Wednesday in the
House Of Commons by members who
charged that in complying with
Japan's demand Britain is guilty of
"appeasement of an aggressor." The
cabinet was plagued with inquiries
as to whether it thinks "this act Of
appeasement is likely to be any
more successful than previous
attempts made at Munich and else
where" Members of Parliament who
branded the Burma deal as shame
full" believe that it may be the
prelude for further japanese ag-
gression at Britair's expense in
Hong Kong, at Singapore or at
other imperial outposts in the Far
East or the South Seas. Even Aus
tralia and New Zealand cannot view
without anxiety this latest conces-
sion to Toxic. That it may prove
the forerunner of British "appease-
ment" of Japanese anxiety to con-
troll the Dutch East Indies is evi-
IDENTIFY feared by the governments
parliamentary critics.
Whatever Downing Streets mo-
tives in acquiescing in Japan's
demands, which include an agree
ment further to delin1it the use Of
Hong Kong as supply base for
China, Secretary Hull makes plain
that the United States is not
retreating in the Far East. His
attitude is noteworthy because of
the rising clamor in Japan for a
more positive policy toward this
country. The Toxic militarists'
state of mind finds current express
sion in the magnified emphasis they
are laying on the detention of six
teen japanese plainclothesmen in
the international Settlement at
Shanghai by American Marines.
With the other western powers
preoccupied in European war. the
United States remains the sole bull
wark of Occidental interests in the
Far East Secretary Hull's stand on
the Burma incident is to be inter-
preted in that sense, as well as a
redefinition of our international
trade policy. There is a militant
group in Japan that is dazzled by
Hitler's methods and eager to emu
late them. AS Hugh Byas, the New
York Times experienced correspond
ent at Toxic, has observed, "the
problem before American diplomacy
is to strengthen the rival group
which wishes, by policy Of respect
for the rights Of other powers, to
avoid an impasse with the United
States-to convince the Japanese
that they can solve their problems
by orderly means and obtain Amer
ican support in the task"
A peace with China, which safe
guarded her political sovereignty and
territorial integrity, would attest
Japan's desire for friendly relations
with the United States.