Evening star., 1940-07-21

Those military and naval experts who,
up to the time Of the collapse Of France.
said that there could be no actual dan.
ger to this hemisphere have changed
their tune. They admit that In this
day and age anything Is possible. The
Gcrman-Italian infiltration in most Of
the South American countries is much
greater than is generally admitted.
Governments either fall in line with
the wishes of the Berlin-Rome axis or
else =.
Totalitarian Preparations.
The time when the appearance OF a
couple of cruisers and several destroyers
in South American ports could re-estab-
Ish order has gone. The totalitarian
sympathizers and the totalitarian storm
troopers who have made their way into
these republics are well organized, well
equipped and excellently led. The
prestige of the Stars and Stripes alone
can no longer save the situation in those
countries.
About five years ago the war De-
partment held the first important Army
games on the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts.
The. problem was the defense Of the
American territory against simultane-
GUS attack from the Atlantic and the
Pacific. Foreign military attaches
laughed. 1t was inconceivable to them
that any American general In his senses
could have imagined such an enormity.
But the then chief of staff of the Army
was looking into the future on the basis
OF information regarding the weakness
Of the Western democracies in connec.
ton with national defense.
Reports received recently from Ger.
many and Italy make it appear that
any attempt on the part of this coun-
try to maintain the present political
status quo in South and Central Amer.
lea will meet with immediate Italo-
German retaliation. What form it will
take nobody can say until the fate of
Great Britain is decided. But there is
no question that in order to fulfill any
kind of obligation toward the govern
ments Of Latin American republics a
large Navy is necessary. And this we
lack.
Japan's Pledge From Axis.
There may be no official alliance be-
tween the European totalitarian states
and Japan. But there is a temporary
community of interests. Japan is going
to fish In troubled waters because she
knows that this time she can catch the
best and largest fish In her history.
AS compensation for the free hand
and other assistance she receives from
Rome and Berlin, Japan is reported to
have pledged to keep the United States
Navy away from the Atlantic by
eventual demonstrations toward the
Philippines and even as far as the
Aleutian Islands.
Today Japan's Navy is large enough
to make such q demonstration. But
even If this were not the case the mere
possibility forces the bulk Of the Ameri-
can Navy to remain on the West Coast.
I At present the Japanese government
is entirely in the hands of the military.
These men are convinced that the time
Is not far of when they will become
entirely independent of Americas basic
| raw materials. And the only way to
obtain this independence is by playing
the totalitarian game.
OF course, no attempts are being made
from Washington to improve American
japanese relations The reason for this
is that the japanese are no longer IN
terested in patching up of the 9-year.
old quarrel. Any advance on the part
Of this Government will be regarded by
Toxic as sign of extreme weakness and
will inevitably meet with rebuff.