Evening star., 1941-10-17

throughout an &4A11@& -
attitude of dig David Lawrence.
nifty rather than of clustering.
This past Week-as RuSSia'S for
tunes have seemed to drop In the
face Of Nazi military successeS-Ja-
pan has revived her belhgerent tone
and manner. But it is Inaccurate,
really. to use the term Japan" to
describe the attitude of the govern
ment at Toxic. A more accurate
description would be to say the Jap
anese military elements" which
seem at times to control the gov
ernment, have taken the micro
phone in hand and broadcast
ominous warnings to America.
The latest outgiving by japanese
naval spokesman to the effect that
the japanese Navy was just itch
ing" to go at America can be crossed
off as merely matching a state
ment made a few days ago by Sena-
tor Norris, veteran member from
Nebraska, that he believed the
American Navy could now lick the
Japanese Navy and that maybe this
was the time to do it,
Such bellicose comments can do
real damage in a delicate situation,
but when they are merely part of
the maneuvers of the So-called war
OF nerves whereby each side tries
70 impress the other with the gravity
OF the situation. the detached OBJ
server can eliminate them as real
factors.
Neither Wants War.
The United States does not want
war with Japan and the Japanese
really do not want war with America.
What is important for Toxic to
realize-and it is really understood
there despite the various comments
that are heard to the contrary-is
that the United States will 20 to
war to protect its life lines in the
Pacific. One of those touches the
Philippines and the other touches
the Dutch East Indies, where rubber
vital TO American industry-is
grown and shipped to us.
The moment Japan makes a step
10 occupy the East Indies, the Brit
tsh viii resist and the chances are
10 to 1 that the American Navy will
cooperate m the defense of our
oversees commerce.
Any war IN the Far East will
mean the release OF mighty bomb
ing force from Manila, which is not
far from Toxic. 1t also will mean
the sending OF direct shipments to
Chinese ports and the beginning OF
o mighty effort to aid China In her
resistance to Japan.
What is more, war between Japan
and the United States would mean
that Germany could be of little
help to the Japanese. Why, then,
should sensible Japanese play Hit
ler's game and allow their govern
ment to be made a tool of Berlin?
The answer is that sensible Japa-
nese do not agree with the Berlin
Tokio-Rome Axis treaty, and wish
1t never had been made a part of
Japan's policy.
Aided in Previous Wars.
Japan has come great distance
since the days when Commodore
Perry entered her ports and began
the era of world trade But Japan
has had in all her major wars the
active financial or naval support of
either Britain or the United States. |
Without American money, Japan
would not have defeated Russia in
the early part of the present CEN
tury. Without the aid of the Brit
tsh feet, Japan would have been |
wiped out as world power had the
Toxic government cast its lot in
1914 on the side of Berlin.
The Japanese people and the /
American people do not hate each
other. They have always been
friendly. Today, however, Toxic is
not an independent government with
a free hand. The Japanese govern
ment is what the military men make
1t. They have a power of veto and
It Is the military in Japan who have
prevented the liberal elements in
Toxic from working out a compro-
mise policy that would appeal to
the United States.
Collapse of the negotiations Is due
10 the fact that the United States
Government has been unable to get
the necessary assurances that Toxic
would refrain from giving aid to
Hitler. That Is the acid test for
the United States. Whoever is on
Hitler's side cannot be on Americas
side. Most Of the Japanese officials
know this and many of them have
been prepared to let the Axis treaty
become dead letter. But Nazi in
fuence in Toxic is considerable and
every time the Nazis make some
military advance they exert pressure
on the Japanese government to do
something to embarrass America.
The Nazis have everything to gain
and nothing to lose by such tactics
Setback Probable.
IT Us important, however, for the
American people to understand and
be sympathetic with the plight of
those Japanese in high office who
sincerely want to keep Japan out
OF any war with the United States