Evening star., 1940-02-01
Ane|o-Joponese Dispute

Acute differences between Great
Britain and Japan, forecast when
the former applied the export-import
blockade to Germany, have material
lied in a heightening controversy
over the fate of twenty-one German
seamen whom the British seized
from the japanese liner Asama
Maru January 81, and are holding at
Hong Kong. Japan now demands
their release.
Adding fuel to the flames is a
Tightening again of the blockade of
the British concession at Tientsin by
reimposition of restrictions against
importations of food into and ex-
ports from the concession, and the
threat, If not the actuality, of cleo
trifying the wire barricades which
hem in the inhabitants of this tiny
patch of western civilization en-
bedded in Japanese occupied North
ern China.
Apparently the japanese have
taken this means of forcing the
British to realization of the help
lessness of their interests before ia
pans will in the Far East, and to
intimidate London into a reversal
of wartime policy which would rep
resent a great moral victory equal
to that Japan won in the surrender
of the four Chinese whose protection
in the British concession at Tientsln
last summer impelled Toxic to estab-
lish the Tientsin blockade.
International legal merits of the
Asama Maru case, although i'm
portant as the final decision may
make or unmake precedent, will not
be the deciding factor in whether
the Nazi seamen are released. Brit
ain will make her decision on the
basis of the practical effect sur
render or detention of the Germans
may have upon stoppage OF the traf-
fic of German citizens of military
age in and out of the Reich, bolster
ing her position then as best she can
with arguments based upon law.
The difficult position in which
Japan's demand for release OF the
German seamen places the British
government is apparent. Not only
Britain, but France as we'll, has
stopped the seagoing vessels of many
countries, among them Italy, to re-
move Germans of military age, and
hitherto only feeble protestations
have been heard. It was only when
a British warship halted Japanese
liner almost within japanese terri
torial waters and removed some OF
her passengers that resistance was
met.
Surrender by Britain of the
German seamen would have quite
unpleasant repercussions in her re-
lations with the European neutrals.
Not only would those governments
which have already acquiesced in
this British practice be stirred to
claim the release of Germans pre-
viously seized from their ships, but
the effectiveness of Britains bar
rier to German travel into and out
of Europe would suffer a severe blow.
From the standpoint of japan,
pressed almost to the breaking point
by the war in China-as the shut
down in a large part of her industrial
system as the result Of coal short
age indicates-a victory now would
be of immense help in bolstering
the morale of the people and
strengthening their determination to
carry through the establishment of
the new order in Asia"
In any event the Anglo-Japanese
dispute may have decided effect on
Japan's relations with Britains S
enemy-Germany-and conceivably
may echo in Acknowledgements re-
lations if the Tientsin blockade re-
suits in further impairment of Amer
lean rights and interests in North
China.