Evening star., 1941-12-09
War With japanese
May Not Be Short,
Bark|ey Declares
Radio Forum Speaker
Cites Difficulties of
Supply in Poetic

SuPPiy III ToCIIiC
Senate Majority Leader Barkley
last night warned the American
people against assuming that the
war with Japan is certain to be
short. He declared in a National
Radio Forum address that he had
no doubt 1t would end in victory for
the United States but pointed out
that the great expanse of the Pacific
presents supply difficulties.
The Nation can be confident it
never before has harbored such
unanimity of opposition and deter
mination as now. Senator Barkley
said. He termed the "treachery and
duplicity" in the Japanese attack
without parallel in the history OF
countries calling themselves civil
lied.
The text of the address, arranged
by The Star and broadcast over a
coast-to-coast National Broadcast
Ing Co. network follows:
have been asked by the National
Radio Forum to comment for a
brief period this evening on the
events which have eliminated IN
the declaration by Congress that
state of war has existed and now
exists between Japan and the
United States. The events which
have led up to this tragic culmina-
ton are familiar more or less to
all the people of the United States
and of the world.
It may not be inappropriate to
remind ourselves that nearly CEN
tury ago, the United States intro
duced Japan to civilization. 1t was
a great American admiral who lifted
the veil from Japan and was instru-
mental then and later. through the
Government of the United States
and people of our country, in bring
ing Japan from a state of hermitage
out into the open where she pro-
ceeded to enjoy the associations and
the advantages of a civilized world.
We have looked at long distance, of
course. but, being in a world that
has been constantly and consistently
narrowed by the inventions of man,
we have looked upon the progress
Of Japan with some interest, and
II has been customary for us TO
boast of the fact that we were in
the beginning responsible for the
initiation of the Japanese govern
ment as great world power.
During recent years, the course
which Japan had pursued in regard
to international affairs has been
one which has somewhat created a
doubt in the minds of the American
people and of the world at large
as to whether she appreciated the
part we had played in lifting the
veil from her original status.
Show Desire to Conquer.
I need not go back into history
Of the last century-only in recent
years. however, we have seen what
appeared to be change in the pol
lev and the outlook and the meth
ods which have been actuated by
desire to conquer and by the aggres-
sive spirit which has been encour-
aged more or less in the last few
years, at least by one or two other
national powers.
II was In April, 1881, that Japan
started upon her more recent course
OF aggression. Upon a retraction
which I need not 60 into and which
I have not the time to detail, they
went into ancient Manchuria, which
Is now under the name of Manchu-
kuo. a puppet state in China con-
trolled and dominated by Japan.
The Government of the United
States disapproved OF that action
on the part of Japan because 1t was
an act of aggression and it was an
act of aggression against a great
nation which had, from time i'm
memorial, been a friend of the
United States; but no action was
taken because the United States did
not receive the necessary co-opera-
ton among other nations to make
our protest effective.
Then in 1887, Japan increased her
aggressions and expansions into the
territory of China; and from that
time until now has been engaged in
war of conquest and of domina-
ton over China, whose only pur-
pose, so far as we know and believe
was to maintain her territorial in
tegrity which had been guaranteed
by nearly all the nations of the
world, and to live in peace witt
them, and to defend her own in
ternal economy.
OF course. we cannot diSassociat'
the Japanese policy from that o1
other nations which have in recenr
years been bent upon aggression
It may be true, as it is believed BY
many people in this country ane
throughout the world. that Japan!
actions in recent months and year,
have been actuated by the policy O.
aggression and world domination
which has been proclaimed by Hitlel
and Mussolini, by the Nazis and th'
Fascists, as their ultimate goal
Whether it be true that Japan ha!
been prodded by Hitler and by al
that he represents in her course II
China and Indo-China and thu
Malayan Peninsula and South Pa
cific is now a matter of no great con
Germ except as historical back
ground to the acts which have cul
minated in today's action on tn,
part of the United States.
U. S. Territory Acquired Peacefully
We have never desired aggression
In the Pacific. What territory w
have possessed there or now posses
has been obtained for the most par
through peaceful negotiations ant
by friendly and mutual annexation
The Philippine Islands, of course
came To lis as q result of th