Evening star., 1942-02-15

Current war appropriations, rapidly
adding tens of billions to the national
debt, tend to obscure the Importance
of the $500, 900 900 loan which Congress
has authorized the President to extend
to China.
Yet the sum is not inconsiderable, par
ticularly when supplemented by the
$3.50, 900 which Great Britain is stimuli
taneously making available for Chung
king The British Treasury Is now so
denuded that any foreign loans by it
are likely in the last analysis to be
shouldered by American taxpayers.
The Importance of the combined loans,
however, is not financial but political.
The contribution from this country
amounts to nearly three times the total
which Washington has heretofore made
available to China, since the start OF
the Sino-Japanese war. And the loan
was significantly rushed through Con-
gress in the week Immediately preceding
the final assault on Singapore.
The speed of passage, and President
Roosevelt's statement that this speed
UtSGlllCS w Jul ColAiSoc ASoAS oAAA Wv
termination to be concretely helpful"
alike illustrate the very real anxiety
which is felt with regard to repercussions
from the latest of Japan's series OF
staggering victories.
That anxiety is amply justified. There
have been many evidences of the irri-
tation aroused at Chungking by the CON-
ception Of the Far Eastern struggle as
side show During the last month Sec
retary Knox has done something to
withdraw his unfortunate assertion that
without Hitler, Japan would get no
where. But deep psychological damage
has been caused by past neglect OF
China and by the even more foolish
underestimates of japanese striking and
staying power. To eradicate this damage
may cost many times the $750,000,000
now hastily earmarked for Chungking.
Situation Not well in Hand"
The cost involved may become pro-
hibitive if the rising tide of Japanese
conquest engulfs Rangoon, cuts of the
Burma road and spreads over the borders
of India, where Generalissimo Chang
Kai-shek is now engaged in emergency
consultations. The British vicenoy, Lord
Linlithgow, suggests that "one-third of
the worlds population" uncounted
masses Of India and China-may soon
be arrayed against Japan.
There was similar wishful thinking in
the case of the Australian general who
last Monday announced in Singapore
that "the situation is well in hand"
AS many people sin Washington are
we'll aware, the situation throughout
the Far East, let alone at Singapore, is
actually far from being well in hand"
1t is, on the contrary, so decidedly out
of hand as to emphasize two underlying
factors which soon or late will receive
much more publicity than is at present
accorded them.
One of these factors is the shift in
Japanese objectives. AS the victories Of
that country in the Southwestern Pa
cific area accumulate, the military pres
sure on China is being simultaneously
relaxed Large numbers of troops, air.
planes, tanks and guns have been with
drawn from China proper and sent into
action hundreds or even thousands of
miles away.
Yet the skeleton army of occupation
which remains is having little difficulty
In maintaining it's hold on all the con-
quered territory.
Eying Raw Materials.
The Japanese are concentrating their
attention more and more on the rich
British, American and Netherlands pos
sessions which together provide in
abundance every important raw ma
terial in which Japan itself is deficient.
And as the exploitation of conquered ter
ritory gets under way, the second under
lying factor in the situation becomes
steadily more apparent. This is the
equanimity with which the natives are
regarding the change of overlordship.
1t is not surprising mat this should be
the case in the Malay Peninsula, in
Burma, New Guinea and the Netherlands
East Indies, where, as every Asiatlc
traveller knows, great care has been taken
not to encourage the natives in West
ern ideas of democracy elf-government
and nationalistic development. Pro-
nounced acquiescence in the change to
Japanese control, however, is also evil
dent in many parts of China and in the
Philippines.
Perhaps this seeming indifference to
Japanese conquest is only simulated, and