Evening star., 1942-03-01

ments that only last November would
have been regarded as fantastic Oriental
folk tales.
Even to sedentary Japanese back in
Toxic, the short history of this Pacific
war must sound unbelievable. Japan up
to now has been one of the neediest of
the "have-not" nations. She had little
or no iron, petroleum, lead. tin, manga
nese, antimony or nickel. She had to
import a major portion Of her coppea
zinc and bauxite There was a long list
Of other materials which she had to buy
away from home. In war time . tight
blockade might have been disastrous.
Has Enormous Reserves.
But her new lands have given her a
supply of nearly all these things. Cop
per and zinc now represent her only
considerable shortages in raw materials
used by her heavy industries.
Just now, however, Japan has no
need for her new resources. She has
stored up enormous stockpiles of strategic
materials. She has enough Oil to carry
on a full-scale blitzkrieg for six months.
She is believed to have enough of other
critical materials to wage war for one
or two years.
Her main economic gain lies in the
fact that she has lifted the blockade to
a large extent, and, If she holds her new
territories, she can count on replenish-
ing her supplies when she needs them.
Ultimately, of course. her loot would en-
able her to develop vast industrial en-
pire.
She will not be able to use the new
materials to increase the output of her
war industries for many years to come.
She cannot expand her industries by
building new plants, for she lacks the all
important mmodities-machines and
machine tools She has depended on
the United States and Germany for most
of these and is not able to supply them
herself. None of the countries she has
seized will appreciably increase her
supply.
Can't Fight Prolonged War.
So Japan will have to wage this war
with the materiel which her factories
can produce at this time. She would
have nothing to gain by waiting, and
everything to lose. The United Nations
want prolonged war, giving them time
to convert their superior productive Ca
pacity to war purposes; they have always
planned war of attrition against Japan,
whiting down Japans Navy by series
of small engagements. 1t would even be
to their advantage to trade the Japs ship
for ship, for the Allies can replace their
losses at a much faster rate than Japan
can.
Japan for few months may be
pinched for petroleum, thanks to the
magnificent demolition work of the
Dutch, who destroyed oil stocks and
property valued at nearly $500 000, 900.
But oil men say that no matter how
effective the destruction, the Japanese
will be able to have the wells producing
again within six months.
With still less delay, most informed
sources predict, the Japanese will obtain
production from the mines and planta-
tions of the Malay States.
Japan probably will find it easy to get
her new Asiatic subjects to work for her,
say old residents Of that area. While
there Is no pro-Japanese movement in
Southeast Asia, the average worker will
earn his bread from whoever can pro-
vide 1t.
He will have little objection to carrying
On under the japanese flag-at least, for
the present. But If Japan resorts to the
same ruthless exploitation of the native
populaces as she has In Korea, Man
chukuo and North China, she undoubt-
edly will build up resistance. Selling the
conquered peoples on the Jap doctrine
of an Asiatic co-prosperity sphere, with
Japs as the overlorts, viii require great
deal more tact than the japanese have
displayed In any Of their own colonial
ton efforts.