Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-05-29
What Will Jopon Do?

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AS German-American relations
grow more tense, the attitude OF
Japan becomes increasingly impor-
tant. AS a member of the Berlin
Rome-Tokio Axis, Japan is bound by
treaty to enter the war on the side
of her allies if any of them is at
tackled by a power not now engaged
in the present struggle. However,
there is tacit escape clause in this
obligation, since Japan would decide
what constitutes attack In the pres
ent critical situation, japanese acts
and utterances acquire a special
significance as indicating what she
would do if America and Germany
should be involved in declared or
undeclared hoStilitieS.
On balance, it would seem that
Japan is still playing a waiting
game, though there can be no doubt
that Japan is strongly pro-Axis and
would jump into the fray against
Britain and America If the risks
we're not too great. Recently, Yosuke
Matsuoka, japanese Foreign Minis
ter, stated categorically in press
interview that Japan would fight
if the United States became engaged
in hostilities with Germany, whether
war was formally declared or not.
But Matsuoka is admittedly the
hottest pro-AXis partisan in the
present cabinet, headed by cool
headed Prince Konoye, and num-
Der of his colleagues are known to
be less bellicoSe. 1t is likewise known
that influential circles in Japan are
opposed to such war, especially
finance and big business, which
dread a conflict with the English
speaking powers.
1t is against this more or less bal
anced background that Japan's lat
est acts and utterances may be eval-
uated. Unfortunately, all are anti
American in character. A few days
ago, Japanese authorities seized
$10,000,000 worth of American goods
stored in warehouses at the port
of Haiphong, French Indo-China.
Though these goods were admittedly
destined for Free China, Japan had
absolutely no. legal right to seize
them on territory technically non
Japanese, regardless of Japan's priv
LEGGED status there. The seizure was
therefore in fragrant defiance of
America and in utter disregard Of
our rights.
More recently, two high officials
have spoken in an unfriendly man
ner. Koh Ishii, spokesman for the
cabinets information board, has
just stated that if the United States
ignores the German Admiral Rae
der's warning against conveying war
shipments to Britain, II am afraid
it will create a dangerous and most
difficult situation" Still more spe-
cific was another statement made
the same day by Captain Hideo
Hiraide, Navy Ministry spokesman,
to the japanese press.
Speaking with unusual frankneSs,
Captain Hiraide said that economic
pressure by hostile nations" might
compel Japan to rise up in arms for
self-defense," quite apart from de-
velopments in Europe or on the
Atlantic He said that Americas
policy of more effective aid to Brit
ain increased the likelihood of Japa-
nese participation in the war, and
stated further that, though America
would then try to destroy Japan's
maritime trade, 1t would not dare
attempt invasion Of Japan" because
American naval bases are too far
away.
All this is far from reassuring,
especially the words of the spokeS-
man for the Navy Ministry, which
has been much more reserved than
the Foreign Ministry headed by
jingoistic Mr.. Matsuoka. Still, Japan
has threatened and clustered before,
and nothing has happened. 1t is
therefore reasonably safe to assume
that the japanese government will
not take an irreparable step unless
and until it believes that 1t will not
involve disastrous consequences. In
Toxic, the lesson of Italy cannot
have been forgotten.