The Nome nugget., 1941-07-28
JAPAN'S OVERTURES STIR
 WASHINCTON'S SUSPICIONS

clared hostilities against the two European members of the Axis. The problem to be decided here IS whether Japan is ready to break faith with Berlin and Rome, or whether she is offering us valueless scrap of paper. ;,
 Advocates of Peace
 There seems to be no doubt but that large and influential party in Japan is frightened over the implications of the pact with Hit Ter an Mussolini. This group does not want war with the United States and intimates that while Matsuoka is making his threats against this country he is really bluffing and is trying to find a technically legal (even if unethi- caD way to get out of those ob- legations to which the Axis would like to hold him firmly.
 The published version of that Axis pact, signed last September would bind Japan to attack us if we attack" Germanyf1 But, ar que the Tokyo leaders who re- gard war with the United States as suicide, suppose Germany pre- cipitates hostilities by attacking American patrols or conveys? Could Japan then remain neu- tral?
 The argument is interesting, of course, but it is widely he'd that Japan's final course of action is bound to be determined by what may seem, at a critical moment, to be Hitler's chances of winning the war If German arms were to be indisputably victorious over Britain, if this country were put upon the defensive, no one doubts but that Japan would con sider it a Heavens sent oppor- tunity."
 As usual, there are reports from Tokyo that "the moderates" are firmly against provoking this country in hostilities. Tales are told of the navy putting on the brakes" and not wanting to fight the United States 'to pull Hitler's chestnuts out of the fire" Signi- ficance is read into the fact that about fortnight ago the Konoye Cabinet and its advisers held a solemn session over ultimate pol icies," and that the navy abstain ed from being represented at the meeting.
 It is also reported that the "big industrialists" are now reproach- ing the army for embroiling the empire in the long and indecisive war with China and are bitter ly pointing out that if Japan were not thus involved, but were real neutral, she could today be rolling in wealth far exceeding her material profits during the 1914-18 war. Except for the mad ness of the miiltarists these re- ports credit the industrialists with saying, Japan could now be selling goods to Britain and to the United States, and her ship yards could be building and sell ing steamships at prodigious pro- fits.
 An Old Story
 Both Washington and London have for many years listened to the siren songs about disunity in Japan. In 1881, at the time of the Mukden incident" and again in 1882, at the time of the Shang- hai fighting, the United States and Britain listened and refrain ed from action in order to give the Japanese moderates a chance" and to 'let the industrialists force retreat to sanity" Time and again Japan has been per mitted to get away with the swag because of indirect intimations from Tokyo that if you upset this government the wild radi- calls will ,ge in and things will be worSe."
 Japan probably does not want to fight the United States just now. She has balanced the peril of waiting while our defense pro gram gathers speed against what she considers the probability of o cpoocb;oo I;t1or ,,;otorxy oxyor