Evening star., 1941-12-08
BY GLENN BABB.
Associated Press Stan Writer

Associated Press Stan Writer.
The friendship of the United
States and Japan, which ended yes
terday in the flaming crash of
bombs at Pearl Harbor, began Just
before our Civil War, f1ouriShed
for half a century, suffered a gen.
Grafton of strains and vicissitudes
before the final breakup began 10
years ago.
The fateful change of course
Japan made in 1881 when she en-
barked frankly on a program Of
conquest led inevitably, it seems in
retrospect, to the naval conflict now
opened, with mastery of the Pa
cific, half a world at stake.
The first American-Japanese con-
facts came when the United States.
newly spread across the continent,
arrived at the shores of the Pacific
and reached across to rouse Japan
on the eastern shores from two and
Q half centuries of seclusion.
Turned Back Into Seclusion.
The break came after Japan had
delivered herself up to a leadership
that turned her back into an in
teuectual, moral and spiritual Sc
clusion as dsrkly medieval, as dis
dainful of modern, Western stand
ards as that from which Commo-
dore Matthew c. Perry aroused her.
Eighty-eight years ago America
introduced Japan to the family of
nations; in the decades that fol-
lowed Americans encouraged, fos-
tered, took an almost paternal pride
in Japans spectacular rise to world
power. In the main, two or three
generations Of Japanese responded
with gratitude. admiration and ef-
forts to emulate the American way
Of life.
But in Japan's very advance were
elements of discord; she became a
great power and embarked on q
vast imperial program which made
even the wide Pacific Ocean two
small to contain both Japanes ambi-
tions and Americas conception of
her own safety.
Plunged Into Manchuria.
Small frictions which arose some |
s6 years ago developed slowly until |
1881 when Japan plunged into Man
churia and embarked on a program
Of expansion and conquest. Seen |
In retrospect it seems clear now |
that that was the turning point !,
In American japanese relations,
that clash in far-away Mukden the |
night of September 18, 1881: even |
the turning point of modern his
tory. From there Japan went on
to the first successful defiance of |
the existing world order, showing
the way to Mussolini and Hitler.
For 10 years there have been only |
coldly polite relations between
Washington and Toxic. Formal |
diplomatic ties barely concealed |
growing hostility. The pace of the |
movement toward collision has
steadily increased; in the past year
1t has, become an avalanche.
Japanese American troubles have
become one phase in civilizations
greatest crisis. Today the two ma
tions find themselves in opposing
camps in the alignment of the two
world orders which no less an au-
thority than Adolf Hitler says can
not exist side by SIDE.
Aligned With New Order.
Japan has aligned herself with |
Germany and Italy and proclaimed |
a new order for Europe, Africa and
Asia. The United States has de-
cided that her interests lie with the
nations fighting to prevent estab-
ltshment of that order, to which
Japan's contributions have been the |
conquest of Manchuria, the over
running of Eastern China, the sub
lection OF French Indo-China, the
declaration of her purpose to dom
mate all greater East Asia"
So the United States has taken her
place alongside Britain, China,
Russia, the Netherlands and the
other governments, mostly in exile,
which are fighting the Axis. OF
these China has been fighting Japan
more than four years and Britain,
Russia and the Netherlands all have
built up formidable Far Eastern
forces for the sole purpose of meet
ing the japanese threat. To all of
these the United States has been
giving aid for months or years, in
steadily increasing measure.
Here Are the Issues.
What are the issues over which
this country and the great empire
Of the Orient have come to a part
ing of the ways? The United States
wants Japan to abandon her ex-
pansion program, which, at least in
its southwark extension toward the
East Indies, endangers the safety
Of the Philippines and threatens
the sources of materials vital to the
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS