Evening star., 1941-12-04
Jopun's Intentions

In view OF the authoritative reports
from the Far East regarding ominous
Japanese military and naval prep
arations in 1ndo-C China, particularly
along the Thailand border, the
frank Inquiries as TO Tokio'S inten-
tions which the United States has
directed to the Nipponese government
are timely and pertinent. There is
good reason to doubt. however, that
Japan'S answer will be as frank as
the question posed by President
Roosevelt. Anticipating one possible
explanation, Mr. Roosevelt justifiably
has rejected the idea that the large
reinforcements being landed in the
Vichy- controlled French colony jut-
ting out into the South China Sea are
to be assigned to military police
duties. There have been no evidences
of internal disorders in Indo-China
to warrant such extraordinary mill
tary and naval maneuvers.
AS matter of fact, there was no
justification for the original occupa-
ton of Indo-China by Japanese
troops last July. At that time, fol-
lowing the signing by the Vichy gov
ernment-under obvious duresS-of
certain military concessions to Japan,
it was announced at Toxic that the
move was for protection" of Indo-
China. Protection against what?
While the japanese Foreign Office
did not specify, the Toxic press
spoke of safeguarding" the colony
against "Anglo-American imperial
ism" This transparent sophistry
failed to hide the significant fact
that Japan long has coveted Indo-
China because Of its highly strategic
location-overlookin the sea lanes
between the Philippines and the
Dutch East Indies, lying across the
Gulf Of Siam from the Malay Penin-
sula and Singapore and extending
far inland to within easy bombing
range of China's lifeline, the Burma
Road For the same reason that 1t
desired military and naval bases In
Indo- China, the militaristic regime
in Toxic ostensibly would like to gain
a foothold in Thailand, which Is 4
logical stepping stone in any plan Of
aggression southwark and westward.
Thailand at present is buffer be-
tween Japanese forces in Indo-China
and British Burma, through which
rail connections with the Burma
Road are made. Thailand also is an
obstacle to any attack on the Malay
Peninsula, and thence upon Singa-
pore, the oil-rich Indies and the
Philippines.
Indo-China was taken over so easily
that TOXIC undoubtedly was encour-
aged to look upon further aggressive
steps as involving little risk Of war
Conditions have changed since last
summer, however. The Germans
have continued to encounter diff
culties in Russia, the British have
taken the offensive in Libya and
America has thrown OF neutrality
shackles, launched an undeclared
naval war against the Axis and, with
British and Dutch cooperation,
taken a positive stand against further
Japanese expansion. Against this
background, Toxic opened It's latest
"peace offensive" in WASHINGTON, pre-
sumably to test the quality of Amer
ican opposition to Japans expan-
sionist dreams and, withal, to gain
valuable time in making up its own
mind as to war or peace in the Pacific.
But Japan's protestations Of peace
full intent, as relayed by her ennis
saries in the current conversations,
are properly subject to questioning
in the light of developments in 1ndo-
China.