Evening star., 1941-12-01
Toio's ChuIIenqe

man for the army, which controls
the empires foreign policy, has
verbally ratified the saber several
times. He has hidden the japanese
people weld themselves into "a single
cannon ball of fiery resolution He
has warned them that they face
the supreme crisis in all the en-
plreS history Of 1900 years. But
these bellicoSe announcements have
reached a new high with his latest
declaration. Asserting that America
and Britain were up to their old
tricks Of Throwing ASiatic peoples
against each other he went on to
say that this exploitation" must be
"purged with a vengeance" by the
co-ordinated Asiatic front of Japan s
co-prosperity sphere. Nothing can
be permitted to interfere with this
sphere" he concluded, because this
sphere was decreed by Providence. "
If this public utterance reflects
the tone of the note report
edly sent by Japan to our state
Department in reply to the COM
munication given by Secretary
Hull to special envoy Kurusu and
Ambassador Nomura, there can be
little doubt that Japanese-American
relations have reached the breaking
point. Not merely the foreign poll
cieS but also the attitudes and aspira-
tiOnS of the two nations appear to
be poles apart. Everything articulate
in Japan echoes the official assertion
that Japan regards its position in
China and the Far East generally as
vital to its national future, to be
maintained at any cost and despite
any risks. Our Government has
made it clear that it will not ac-
quieSce in Japan's aggressive Far
Eastern aims, but will unalterably
oppose them in concert with other
powers. Furthermore, America and
its associates for months have been
applying economic sanctions which
are hamstringing Japan'S economic
life and which, if continued much
longer, will bring the Island Empire
to an economic collapse in which
surrender will be the only alterna-
tive
With the sands of power thus Wis
IDLY running low, Japan must strike
soon if she is to strike at all. The
grim temper of her militaristic lead
ers incites them to make a supreme
bid for Far Eastern dominance even
against the longest odds. Indeed,
the traditional samurai spirit teaches
a hopeless fight or the ceremonial
suicide of hara-kiri as preferable to
what is deemed diShonorable capitu-
lation. This suicidal tendency is a
factor in japanese national psychol-
ogy which should be considered in
evaluating what Japan may do. In
the light of this background, there
is scant reason for optimism in the
announcement from Toxic that the
japanese cabinet has decided to
continue negotiations with the
United States. Until the contrary
is shown, this should be regarded
as another play for time-a bid for
breathing spell pending clarifica-
ton of the military situation on the
Russian front.
The mass attack by Japanese
planes on the Burma road, in face of
British and American warnings, is
another ominous portent of japanese
intentions. Meanwhile, the situation
on the Thailand border grows hourly
more tense, with troop concentra-
tions going on and with the official
Bangkok radio pouring out a steady
stream of warnings to the population
that the little buffer kingdom may
soon become battle-ground. Lastly
President Roosevelt has cut short his
already belated vacation at Warm
Springs and has hastened back to
Washington, admittedly because of
the Worsening Far Eastern situation.
To be sure, no diplomatic crisis
should be adjudged hopeless until the
guns begin to speak Yet the present
picture is almost unrelievedly dark,
with no tangible ray of light on the
horizon. The long-predicted show
down with Japan seems to have come.