Evening star., 1941-05-11
Change in Chino

Diplomatic maneuverS between
OrientalS have a complex Subtlety
all their own. Recent Japanese Off
cial and semi official utterances con-
corning China may be mere trial
balloons or they may denote some
thing much deeper. Yet these pro-
nouncementS are so novel in tone
that they would seem to indicate a
genuine attempt to change Japan's
policy toward it's giant neighbor.
The ball was started rolling vigor-
ously by leading editorial in the
Japan Times and Advertiser, which
is known to be the English Language
mouthpiece of the Foreign Office.
The editorial stated that Japan had
reached new stage" in her policy
toward China, whose prolonged re-
Sistance has so demonstrated it's
endurance that the effort to over
come the Chinese by force of arms
must have little more appeal even
to the most sanguine of soldierly
minds" A new policy was therefore
suggested on the following bases:
% Peace and order in China, be-
cause no peace can be possible with
out a peaceful China; t2) develop
ment of China as an active partner
in the new Asiatic co-prosperity
sphere, because a new economic
structure for East Asia would be i'm
possible without the cooperation of
China.
AS a first step in this peaceful
policy, the editorial recommended
withdrawal of Japanese forces from
much of interior China, thus reduc-
ing the area and scope of hostilities.
1t did not advocate direct negotia-
tions or recognition Of the Chung
king government headed by Chang
Kais shek, preferring to work through
the nese-dominated regime set
up at Nanking. But the aim was to
win popular confidence.
Another official utterance in the
same vein was made next day in
Shanghai by Colonel Akiyama, off,
cial spokesman for the Japanese
armed forces in China, who asserted
almost jocoSely: The japanese
Army can't catch the Chinese. This
continental arena is too large. It is
difficult for us to run around it."
And, simultaneously, leading Toxic
newspaper, Nichi Nichi, printed
report attributed to the japanese
Ambassador to the puppet regime at
Nanking that Chang Kai-shek de-
clared himself unwilling to enter
peace negotiations with Japan unless
through American mediation. AS a
matter of fact, current news dis
patches from Shanghai state that
large Withdrawals of japanese troops
from interior China seem to be in
preparation.
All this is susceptible of two quite
different interpretations. 1t is pos
sible that the Japanese government
is making a real effort to liquidate
the China incident" through a ne
gotiated peace with Chang Kai-
shek, even at the cost of consider
able sacrifices. But it is equally pos
sible that Japan may be merely
shortening her lines in China in
order to get ready for new aggres-
sions to the southwark involving a
possible clash with the British En-
pire and the United States. In all
this the attitude of Soviet Russia is
an important factor What is the
scope of the recent Russo o-Japanese
understanding? How has it affected
Moscow's relations with Chungking?
Will the seemingly pro-Axis trend
now visible in Moscow extend to the
Far East? These are matters about
which little is known today. Yet
they. would 60 far to explain the
underlying motive in the suggested
change of policy toward China which
is being put forth in Toxic at the
present time.