Evening star., 1941-02-16


ports to that country were furtner cut'
when the licensing system became ef1ec-
tive for copper, brass, zinc, bronze,
nickel and potash. With the exception
of lead this country is now exporting
virtually no metals to Japan.
The effect is not merely to hamper
the Japanese war effort, but also to
disrupt the entire economic organiza-
ton. The loss of these exports is not
at present serious for the United States.
as the expanding defense program is
more than taking up the slack. But the
deficiencies in raw material supplies
provide real problem for Japan.
Japanese Totalitarianism.
The new totalitarian structure, which
was formally inaugurated for Japan by
Prince Konoye last August, may in time
achieve the high degree of self-sufh-
cheney which is planned. But while Japan
is closely initiating the German pat
tern, it does so without the same genius
for organization, without the same
facilities for barter agreements and
without the same degree of effective
domination that Germany at present
exercises in Europe.
Because of this situation few informed
students of the Far East believe that
the Konoye government has abandoned
plans of supplementing its needs from
the untapped wealth of Netherlands
East Indies. Negotiations for greatly
augmenting Japanese supplies from
these rich islands continue, and former
Foreign Minister Yoshizawa recently an
nounced in Batavia that economic con-
cessions constitute Japan's only ambi-
ton in this area.
Certainly the raw materials made more
necessary by American restrictions must
be obtained in one way or another, if
the new order" is to have any hope of
successful establishment.
Of late, however, japanese penetration
in French Indo-China has attracted mere
attention than the possible designs on
the East Indies. The French authorities
in this remote colony can now do little
or nothing to stop the steady extension
of japanese demands, made easier by
the undeclared war which Thailand, as
Siam is now called, has been waging TO
recover territory seized by the French in
the heyday of their imperialism.
Concrete Gains In Offing.
Japan is at present mediating this
dispute, with consequent enhancement
of the diplomatic prestige of Toxic and
very likely, in the ofing, more concrete
gains from both the parties involved.
The name of Cam Rain Bay will become
familiar to Americans if it is chosen as
the site of great japanese naval base
on the South China Sea, separating Ma
Mia and Singapore.
So as Admiral Nomura settles in at
the beautiful Embassy on Massachusetts,
avenue, there will be plenty to occupy
his time. Chungking and Hong Kong,
Saigon and Bangkok, Singapore and
Batavia, all seem very far away to most
Americans. But it is around these places
that the lines of our policy, and of Great
Britain and of Japan entangle. And it
is to a large extent in Washington that
the issues there posed will be resolved,
or will lead on to further complications.
1iIc OIL uSSIC III IulOpC bOlIAlllolSo CAlS
stage and the fortunes of war there will
undoubtedly determine the main out
lines of the Far Eastern picture. But
in both areas America is involved and
as to both, Americans will have to be-
come better informed.
In his testimony on the leaSe-lend bill
before the House Committee on Foreign
Affairs, Secretary Hull said: 1T has been
clear throughout that Japan has been
actuated from the start by broad and
ambitious plans for establishing herself
in a dominant position in the entire
region of the Western Pacific. 1t
should be manifest to every person that
such program for the subjugation and
ruthless exploitation by one country of
nearly one-half of the population of the
world is matter of immense significance,
Importance and concern
With that for background Admiral
Nomura assumes his important post.