Evening star., 1941-09-08
Inconsistent Toxic


foreign policy is strikingly illustrated
by current incident. Saturday the
Japan News Week, leading Toxic
illustrated magazine with a large
circulation, published an editorial
asserting that, although the war sit
uation does not indicate that "the
Nazis' ill-founded plans have been
defeated, it does mean that German
momentum has been definitely ar
rested and that by the end of this
third year the finish of the horrible
carnage should be within the grasp
of the Allies"
This editorial, so sensationally at
variance with the pro-Axis tone OF
the officially controlled press, at once
attracted worldwide attention, espe-
cially as the Japan News Week has
often reflected the views of the for
eign office The issue appeared on
the news stands and was not inter-
fered with for several hours. Later
in the day, the editor announced
that it had been suppressed, though
no reason was given, and the editor
added that future issues Of the mag
azine would appear as usual.
On the very same day, the promi-
nent Toxic newspaper Kokumin
featured an interview with Major
Shozo Nakajima Of the Army Infor-
nation Board, Just returned from
japanese occupied Indo-China. This
official army spokesman issued
typical blast against the English
speaking powers, warning them that,
unless they cease interfering with
the establishment of Japan's CO.
prosperity sphere in East Asia, they
will have to be driven out of the
entire Far East.
What is the significance of those
two glaringly inconsistent express
sions of opinion? Neither could have
appeared without the tacit permis-
sion Of lynx-eyed censorship. Was
the delayed suppression of the anti
Axis editorial a calculated indis-
cretion" of the foreign office? Did
it possibly reflect divergence of
views between the foreign Office and
the army? Or were the two articles
a deliberately balanced perform
ance to obscure the governments
| intentions and gain time before an
irrevocable decision had to be made?
These are some of the queries
naturally suggested and they do not
yield positive answers. Yet one or
two suggestions may be offered. In
the first place. the present Konoye
government is a compromise cabinet,
representing shades of opinion rang
ing from relative moderates who
dread war with America and Britain
to army men who view such conflict
as well-nigh inevitable. In the
second place, it is known that the
army, rather than the foreign office,
has the last word in those phases of
foreign policy which concern East
Asian affairs. There is no indication
that the army is disposed to abandon
the program of aggressive expansion
in East Asia which inevitably causes
tense relations with the English
speaking powers and therefore tends
to keep Japan aligned with the Ber-
lin-Rome Axis.
The logical inference, therefore, is
that Major Nakajima rather than
the editor of Japan News Week re-
fleets the dominant trend in Japan
today. Not until there is evidence
that the army is convinced the Axis
will lose the war and that, in conse-
quence, the dream of East Asian
domination has become vain, may a
drastic shift in foreign policy be
anticipated. Until then, occasional
views like that of the News Week
editorial should be deemed interest
ing but of limited significance.