Evening star., 1941-08-03

lHSlc ScCltlS ~ Oc llO III tiAN
minds of the Governments economists
and trade experts-or in the minds of
those directing the political destinieS OF
the United StateS-that all-out economic
pressure by the United States, Great
Britain and the Dutch Empire would
result III the industrial strangulation of
Japan.
How long il would take to bring this
about would depend in large part on
the amount Of reserve stocks which ia
pan has been able 10 build up. She
might be able to resist the pressure for
three months for six months, for
yesr-just how long is anybody's guess.
But eventually. says the expert consen-
sus, she would succumb.
To be effective, of course an economic
blockade would require control of the
seas by the American and British navies.
OF all the important world powers,
Japan is the most vulnerable to attack
with economic weapons. For all the
things that nation requires for modern
warfare-oil iron ore, scrap iron, cop
per, nickel. aluminium, manganese, lead,
dependent on areas of the world out
side her control. The principal suppliers
of the great bulk of these essential
commodities are the United States and
Great Britain and her dominions.
Dependent on L. S.
In 1889 the last year for which Off
cial figures are available. 80 per cent
-F ,-+-
came from the United States and As
per cent of those of other iron and steel
semimanufactures IS per cent of her
imports Of lead: 80 per cent of the cop
per she brought in. and IS per cent
of the petroleum products. Most of her
zinc was obtained from Australia. We
supplied Is per cent of her imports of
aluminium and most of the balance came
from Canada. The great bulk of the oil
and gasoline beyond the two-thirds from
this country was derived from the Meth
erlands Indies and the British possess
sions. On British and Dutch sources she
was dependent for essential supplies of
such commodities as wool, rubber tin.
sugar, nickel and hides
we luI ulSIlCN al 1JOJ oOOub q bill4u
of Japan's cotton imports: this propor-
ton. however, appears to have been re-
duced in recent months by the inCreaS-
ing competition of ower-priced cotton
from Brazil and India. while the absolute
volume of Japans cotton imports has felt
the effects of diminished shipping facili-
ties and declining world markets for
japanese cotton goods.
AS the figures show, Japan is excess
siveIy poor in natural resources. She
lacks even the rich iron ore and coal
deposits that England possesses. Her de-
ficiencies have not been repaired by her
conquests. She remains nation de-
pendent for her eXistence-or her exist
ence. at any rate, as a frst-class power
on the fabrication Of goods from raw
materials purchased abroad. Clearly,
a blockade depriving her of these ma
terials would have a catastrophe effect.
Ready to Apply Sanctions.
We have been engaged in a war of
nerves with Japan. the latest American
maneuvers in which are the Presidents
recent order freezing" japanese assets in
this country and the embargo on aviation
fuel. The Importance of these steps lies
In the threat to Japan that if she per-
sists in her aggression in the South
Pacific area, the United States, in col
laboration with the British and the
Dutch, will clamp down an economic
blockade. Conversely, the announcement
of the State Department that the freezing
order does not now constitute an embar-
GO but sets up a flexible control that can
be relaxed or tightened at will is notice
to Japan that if she will halt her ag-
greSsive march toward the Netherlands
Indies and Singapore, the United States
will refrain from implementing the
freezing order with further embargo
measures.
The central aim of the American pol
Icy, as the President has simply and
clearly explained. has been and is to
prevent the outbreak of war in the
Pacific at a time when the United States
is preoccupied with giving the British
the fullest possible aid in the Atlantic.
To this end, despite the moral and ma