Evening star., 1942-01-25
1apan's Victories Are Setback
To White Prestige in Far East
Injury to Ruling Glass Held More Serious Than
Military Losses Situation Helps
Standing of Chinese.
By FeHr M orIey.

Nationalist China has maintained con-
tinuous, heroic and for the most part
wholly unsupported resistance to jap
anese attack.
There are many evidences Of an en-
during solidarity between the white
rulers and the subject races in the Far
East. The stand Of Filipino troops in
the Batan Peninsula is one notable
illustration. The loyalty Of large native
forces in the Netherlands East Indies Is
another. Many more could be cited.
But as against these must be counted
the growing evidence that there are
many people in the Far East who are
simply not interested in the perpetuation
Of white empire.
Thai Cooperation.
The Siamese, for instance, are known
as peaceful and unaggressive race So
there was little surprise when Thailand,
like Indo China, submitted without even
show of resistance to Japanese occu-
patton. The pacific nature of the Thai
landers, however, makes their present
cooperation with Japan in an attack
on Burma the more disturbing. Prob
ably, like the Koreans. they are being
forced to fight for the Mikado. However
that may be, they are fighting for him.
The same, according to the report Of
an unnamed official of the conquered
territory Of Sarawak, is true of the
Manchurians. There was good reason"
said dispatch from Batavia on January
10, TO believe that Manchukuo soldiers
under Japanese officers were among the
attackers" when that part of the great
island Of Borneo was invaded.
Similarly, there are indications that
some Malay tribesmen have been easily
won over to serve as guides and spies for
the Japanese in their rapid advance
down that long peninsula And, finally,
there are reports that certain units of
British Indian troops have not proved
reliable in this fighting.
Stories Of Indian desertions come from
Japanese sources and may be nothing
but propaganda. On the other hand,
there may well be as yet undisclosed fac
tors behind the ineffectiveness of British
resistance in the Malay Peninsula. There
nave certainly been some unexpected
surprises since December s, when Sir
Robert Brooke-Popham. then British
commander in chief in the Far East. an.
nounced at Singapore: I'VE are ready.
We have had plenty of warning and our
| preparations are made and tested"
y reFv Diplomacy Important.
\ When the available evidence Is scru-
tlnlzed 1t gives ground for some uneasy
surm1se. This includes belief that the
kpower Of the Japanese attack may be In
part explained by relative indifference
OF many Eastern peoples to the change
OF overlordship which Toxic Is trying to
effect. Such an attitude would be most
shortsighted. But human reactions are
none the less real because they are often
foolish from long-range viewpoint.
The indications of very considerable
Asiatic apathy towards Japanese con-
quests are at least strong enough to ius-
tify more attention to the diplomatic as
well as the military aspects of the prob
lens. 1t would, for instance, do no harm
to Chinese morale were the British gov
ernment to announce that If Hong Kong
Is recaptured its transfer to Chinese SOW
ereignty, with due compensation for the
huge British investment, would be favor.
ably considered.
After all, the picture of white imper.
ialism In the Far East is not so pretty in
all its aspects as to make unqualified res
toration appealing to the subject peoples
OF that area. And there is very reason
able doubt that the cause of freedom and
democracy would be furthered in South
east Asia by establishment of the
status quo which was so satisfactory to
Rudyard Kipling.
Sympathetic consideration of native
aspirations in the Far East might also
have some constructive influence on the
very enigmatic Russian attitude. For
the Communists have their own ideas
about the future In that area and thew
are not those Of the Malayan planters
and treaty port merchants.
Indeed 1t becomes daily more clear
that Russian assistance against Japan
need not be expected If the underlying
purpose is merely to bolster what Mosccf 2
has many times denounced capitalistic
imperialism in the Far East.