The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1940-10-10
Economic
#hA9hA
Happenings That Affect the Dinner
Pals, Dividend Checks and Tax
Bills of Every Individual. National
and International Problems Insep-
arabic from Local Welfare.


The new Japanese Italian German
axis agreement did not come as a
complete surprise to experts in this
country. And, by the same token,
the Presidents embargo against ship
ments of scrap to Nippon was hardly
unexpected. The vast weight of
American public opinion is known to
favor strongly pro-Chinese and anti
Japanese policy. The embargo would
probably have been effected some time
ago, but few dissenters in the state
department delayed matters. 1t 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.
| 1t was apparently coincidence
that these two events should have
taken place within the same week.
In one way, it is a good thing they
did-coming together, they served to
clear the air and put apanese-Ameri-
can relations on more realistic basis.
There is no more pretense here of re-
garding Japan as a friendly power.
Instead, we regard her as a potential
enemy of American interests. And
now the question is, What are likely
to be the results of the scrap en-
barge and the axis military pact?
The embargo is without doubt a
hard blow to Japan's militarists. We
have provided her in the past with
some 80 per cent 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 totali-
tartan friends, Germany and Italy,
haven't enough for their own needs, to
say nothing of exports. 1t is the
American hope, that, totally lacking
as she will be from now on in essen
tial scrap, her military activity will
gradually bog down. And there are
other steps we can take if this one
does not prove sufficiently effective.
We could, for instance, refuse to ad-
nit Japanese silk into this country,
and by that single act deprive Nippon
of her biggest and most profitable for
eign 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 OBJ
served. The meaning of the agree
ment is crystal CLEAR. If we should
join England in war against Germany
and Italy, Japan is pledged to immedi-
ately attack us, thus making it neces-
sary for us to keep our fleet in the
Pacific and away from European
waters And, on the other side, if we
should go to war with Japan, the other
axis partners are bound to help the
Land of the Rising Sun with "all po-
litical, economic and military powers"
at their command.
These are strong words, but some
feel that there is considerable bluff
behind them. At the present time we
are helping England with everything
we have. We could hardly do more
if we were actually at war. But Jap
anese newspapers, which are govern
ment controlled and inspired, have
said that she does not regard such
American aid to Britain as the de-
stroyer trade, as belligerent act. In
other words, Japan, despite the OBJ
vious anger of her military men, GER
tainly hasn't shown an eagerness to
fight. And if she did go to war with
us, it would obviously be impossible
for her to get significant aid from
her allies so long as England is fight
ing on-and the military experts here
are coming to the conclusion that Eng
lands position is getting stronger
daily.
Unanswered question so far is what
effects this new pact will have on
Russian policy, and that may turn out
to be the most important question in
volved. Unofficial Soviet spokesman
were shocked For the differences be-
tween Russia and Japan are complete
| ly irreconcilable so far as anyone can
see now, and Russia has favored
China in the Far Eastern war. Some
experts are hazarding the guess that
this pact may negate the German
Soviet pact of last year. If that should
happen, Germany would have lost far
more than she has gained. She would
be confronted with the possibility of
another enemy-and an enemy which
is potentially extremely strong, even
though it is badly disorganized.
If the axis friends thought the new
agreement would throw scare into
this country, resulting in our revert
ing to more neutral attitude, they
were greatly mistaken. Washington's
response was that, if anything, the
agreement would result in giving even
more aid to Britain. And that policy
will go on no matter who wins in No
vember-both Mr.. Roosevelt and Mr..
Willkie are strongly pro-English and
anti-fascist. SO one result of the pact
may be to benefit England in her war
with two of the pact's three sig
, natorleS.
Next thing to watch for now is what
Spain does The axis is using every
pressure to enlist her as their allV,