Evening star., 1941-12-07

possible for China, even with American
assistance, to dominate a defeated ana
sullen Japan. In fact. to anybody VINO
knows the two countries. such an out
come must seem utterly fantastic. The
Chinese have great virtues. but not even
their heroism during the past four
years has as yet demonstrated their
ability to govern their own huge country
efficiently, let alone the socially mors
advanced and experienced Japanese.
United States Position Mixed.
Only in friendly cooperation between
China and Japan is there any real prom
ise for Asiatic stability. And such CO.
operation the United States has d0ne
little to forward First. We inadvertently
aided Japan against China; now We az
greSsively aid China against Japan 1he
situation might have been happier II
we had more resolutely and consistently
tried to forward that mutual agreement,
which would be as profitable for US as
for the two principals.
Such hopes however, now seem water
under the bridge. or nearly so. Para
doXically, both winston Churchill and
Adolf Hitler seem to be one of mind in
viewing war between Japan and the
United States with equanimity. And IN
the fatalistic attitude which rules, both
in Washington and Toxic there Is lit
tie which promises to turn a tide now
| rising rapidly toward actual hostilities.
The threatened war In the Pacific
promises less than no gain for either
| Japan or the United States. Whether
| 1t would be any more advantageous for
either Great Britain or Germany. both
| of which are now reduced to taking
! gamblers chances is hard TO say.
There would be long-range gain for
Great Britain in having this country
definitely committed to fighting as an
outright ally. There would be short
| range gain for Germany in having
| American attention and military sup
| plies at least temporarily diverted from
| Europe and North Africa to the Far
! East.
| However, neither the increasing reck-
| Iessness in Berlin and London, nor tbs
willingness 10 disagree in both Wash
ington and TOXIC, entirely explains the
drift toward a Japanese American war
| which, viewed by itself, Is simply pre-
posterous. Other factors are involved
and unless they are understood nothing
will be gained by all the additional SUI
fering and sacrifice, chaos and calamity,
which now looms over the horizon.
War Pulls All Countries In.
There = Z clearly defined tendency.
obvious from 1914 to 1918 and agst-l
since September, 1899, for a war involv-
ing any two Of the great powers TO draw
all the others into its orbit. So pro-
nounced is this tendency that it might
almost be written down as an ineXorable
law of international politics.
The reason for this tendency Is not
difficult to define. In a world where
there is no effective International au-
thority. stability is maintained only by
an uneasy balancing of the relations
between the various great powers. When
this precarious balance is upset the
whole fragile peace system is DESTROYED.
not merely for Europe, the cockpit
where for centuries all international
wars of any magnitude have had their
origin but also for Asia. Africa, AUS
. tralasia and the Americas.
When the balance of power Is upset
every nation becomes fearful for its pre-
negatives and each nation possessing
strength to affect the outcome moves
instinctiyely towards participation in the
melee along the lines which seem to
! further its national interest.
1t is the overwhelming centripetal pull
of this war tendency which always made
isolationism and neutrality legislation
! springing therefrom a forlorn hope for
| the preservation of American peace
! 1t was realization of the meaning OF
this tendency which made Aristide
BRAND, the great French statesman. say
years ago that: There is no such thing
! as a European peace and an American
peace. There is only peace for the
/ entire world"
/ Not until there is better understanding
/ of the law which operates 10 make every
! major war a world war will the effort
to make peace durable achieve a finn
| foundation.