The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1941-08-07
Economic . .
#hA@hA
National and International Problems
lnseparable from Local Welfare.


You don't have to be an authority
on international power politics to fig
ure out why the Nichy government in
lvited Japan to occupy and protect
French 1ndo-China. The Machiavel
| lian hand of Hitler can be clearly seer
| in this potentially explosive move
| The Vichy government is completely
a pawn of the Nazis. And Hitler
Iwho is now fighting the twofront wal
(which he always said he would avoid
may profit materially from trouble II
the Pacific. So long as the japanese
saber rattlers remain in power anC
pursue their imperial policy, it will be
necessary to keep much of the Ameri-
can Navy in the Pacific, and it vii
also be necessary to divert much OF
our Army and military supplies to oul
Pacific possessions. 1t is altogether
likely that what Hitler would like tc
see is full-dress war between japan
and the United States, in order tc
keep us from giving maximum aid tc
Britain.
This governments reaction to ia.
Ipan's move into lndo-China was pre-,
cisely what was expected We have
long been criticized for permitting OF
exports to the Nipponese-and it is al
ironical fact that while we have beer
lgiving our moral support and some
material support to China, we have
lalso been supplying Japan with most
Of the gasoline that has made the wal
|against China possible. President
Roosevelt, queried at a press confer
ence, said frankly that the govern.
ment had permitted oil exports in the
belief that if we shut off these vita
supplies, Japan would at once at.
tempt to seize Indo-China and Other
rich areas, and so cause a Pacific wal
of the first magnitude. In other
words, the government was trying tc
localize conflict. That policy has now
Iproven a failure. A start toward al
embargo on all commerce with Japar
has been made, and Britain and hen
possessions have followed suit.
From now on, Treasury license
will be needed to take any japanese
assets out Of this country, or to senc
anything of any kind to Japan. As
an AP dispatch said, "The asset
freezing" order put the Treasury il
position to turn the economic screws
on Japan. Just how hard they vii
be applied may depend on future
events in the Far East"
1t is difficult to eXaggerate the i'm,
portance Of the economic whip we
ihold over Hirohito's empire. japan
buys the bulk Of many vital supplies
from US. One top Of that, We
have long been Japan's best custom
er. Most experts believe that if ia
pan loses the American market, she
will be in a desperate economic posi-
ton. So far as we are concerned, oul
sales to Japan are but a drop in the
bucket compared with our total trade
We buy nothing from Japan we can
not do without Mrs. America may
have to forego silk stockings in the
future, and use substitutes such a.
nylon, but that can hardly be consid
cred great hardship.
From the purely military point Of
view, Japan has quite a job on hel
hands. The war in China seems a!
far from conclusion as ever, and in
wolves a tremendous drain on Japan
ese resources-men as we'll as mate
trials. Britain is no wCakling in tn,
! Far Fast, and the Churchill govern
ment is taking rs tough line will
Japan now as we are. In the even
of actual hostIities, full naval collab
Grafton between England and The
| United States will undoubtedly be i'm
meediately effected Some think tha
this country should base ships at tn,
great Singapore base now. There i
little doubt that Britain would Civ
enthusiastic permission if the right t.
do this were requested.
There is also talk to the effect tha
Hitler may persuade Japan to attacl
/ Asiatic Russia. That too would be
tough assignment. Russia is powerful
in the East, and the Japanese Arm.
isn't regarded too highly by the mill
Itary experts. However, those win
know the Japanese character think j
very possible that the Nipponcse wa
lords may have finally decided t
shoot the works, even if that even
Itually involved national suicide, an,
the reduction Of Japan to the statu
,lOf a third class power,