The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-04-21

ise any help. Pooh! What does
that signify? According to this
account, Yosuke Matsuoka's rating
in Toxic is pretty low. He's been
foreign minister there for quite
awhile and hasn't framed up
single international deal that's
been worth a cent to the Japs.
Now he has been visiting Berlin
and Rome, Nippon's nominal Axis
partners, and failed to squeeze
anything useful out Of either Herr
Hitler or Signor Mussolini. So,
homeward bound via Moscow. he
absolutely had to take back with
him some sort of a document that
he can claim as a real (but actual
ly phoney) accomplishment, worth
the price of his trip. Accordingly,
Commissar Vyacheslav Molotov, at
Moscow, perhaps with a certain
sympathy with Yosuke, as a fellow
foreign minister, made an empty
bargain with him, TO exhibit as a
genuine prize. But shucks! It's
mere neutrality. That's that in
depreciation.
Another one Is that Minister
Matsuoka scored a distinct point
by obtaining Russia's pledge not
to jump on the Japs from behind,
as the latter undertake Singapore,
Malayan and Dutch East Indian
grabs. Also maybe the Japs think
Comrade Stain will stop shipping
anti-Jap supplies into China over
and.
. Can Still Supply China
However, Russia didn't agree to
stop supplying the Chinese. All
Moscow said was that the Soviets
would stay neutral if the Japs
were attacked. True, the Japs do
argue that they were attacked by
China, but it will take lot more
Interpretation to prove that. China
VIGOROUSLY attacked the Japs in
the same way that the Firms at
tackled Russia. Only, the Russians
aren't likely to interpret the Chi
nese attack on the Japs as they in
terpreted the Firms attack on
them.
No interpreter surmlses that
Russia wants Japan to become
overly-intrenched in southeastern
Asia, but plenty Of 'em surmise
that the Russians would like to see
the Japs try it, because they reck-
on that that would be calculated
to involve Japan in war with the
United States. Then would be
Russia's chance to gobble every
thing in sight in Japanized north
ern Asia. Oh, yes, the Soviets say
they'd stay neutral. But would
they? Nobody interprets the Rus
slams and laps as being true
friends.
One Interpretation Is that ia
pans anxious to have Russia act
as mediator between Toxic and
Chang Kai-shek's Chinese govern
ment. The theory is that the Japs
are so nearly exhausted that they'd
willingly recognize Chang as main
boss Of China, II he'd do 1t on
terms that wouldn't be too humili-
ating to EN-, but they need an in
termediator to propose it to him.
But the Interpretation is that
that scheme wouldn't work. In the
first place, Chang wouldn't acqui-
esce. In the second place, the Rus
slams wouldn't want him to; their
notions to have China absorb ia
pan and then to communize China,
which Chang would object to, too.
He isn't a Communist.
Russo-German relations are In
terpreted into the situation.
Some interpreters say Herr Hit
Ter doesn't get anything out Of the
Jap-Russian pact. Some say he's
pleased, on the ground that he
thinks it will promote Jap expan-
sion in the western Pacific, tending
to embroil the Mikado with Uncle
Sam, thus keeping our feet and
supplies out Of the Atlantic ocean.
Others interpret to the purport
that Commissar Stain Is trying to
hook up with Toxic because he's
fearfully afraid Of Germany and Is
doing his darndest 10 crack up the
Nazi- Fascist-Jap Axis, regardless
Of his loose deal with Hitler and
Mussolini.
On His Own Terms
It's fairly well established that
Herr Hitler seeks a large terri