Evening star., 1942-03-06
Mission Of New Jap
Envoy 10 Soviet Seen
Similar 10 Kurusu's
Soto's Job Believed to Be
To LuII Reds Into Foise
Sense Of Security
By PERTINAX.

as japanese Ambassador to Soviet
Russia bears comparison to the mis-
sion on which, last october, Saburo
Kurusu was sent to the United
States. 1t may be taken as the
portent of conflict.
Sato at one time was the rising
star of Japanese diplomacy. He
successfully served in Brussels, War
saw and Paris. A broadminded
man, thoroughly liberal and mod
crate, he headed the japanese dele
cation to the League of Nations in
1882 and the task of defending the
japanese generals action in Man.
churia fell on his shoulders pending
Yosuke Matsuoka's arrival. In gen.
eral, he did what he could to patch
up some compromise. The military
clique consistently hated him.
In 1887, while in Paris, he did not
conceal from friends that he thor
oughly disapproved of the anti
Comintern pact concluded in No
vember, 1886. He was speedily placed
on the retired list.
The promoters of a forward policy
labeled him a weakling, for whom
they had no use under their plans
of imperialist expansion To some
degree their feelings were the same
IN relation to Kurusu, who, although
he had appended his signature to
the Axis tripartite pact of Septem-
ber, 1910, was wont to tell some of
his colleagues of the diplomatic
body in Berlin that he did not see
eye to eye with the Toxic govern
ment about that instrument.
Pressure From Germans.
Kurusu had to report to Washing
ton last fall to carry out there the
instructions of the japanese rulers.
Similarly Sato was persuaded the
other day to replace 1t. Gen. Yo-
shltsuga Tatekawa, a soldier of
questionable ability in international
affairs.
What is the explanation at the
back of those moves? A very sim
pie one. Japan is being urged by
the Nazi government to participate
IN the offensive which the latter
proposes to launch on Soviet Russia
In accordance with her common
practice, she intends to lull Stain
and his advisers into a false sense
OF security SO as to strike all the
more deadly blows at her own
selected moment.
AT any rate, a true sign that JAP
anese policy is not to be conducted
IN Moscow on lines very different
from those marked by the will of
the army can be detected in the des-
ignatlon Of Goro Morishima as
counselor to the newly appointed
Ambassador. MoriShima is one of
the army men in the diplomatic
service. While in charge of an i'm
portant consulate in China he was
the passive servant of the military
leaders and those military leaders
are sure to have a hand in the shap-
Ing Of the policy to be followed
toward Russia, not to say more. In
Moscow Morishima will be, indeed.
kind of political conmissar. He
Will keep close watch on the Am
bassador and, if necessary, compel
him to toe the line.
Strategic Zone in Ruins.
The japanese are pushing farther
and farther in the Pacific area. The
strategic zone once described as the
A. B. D. A. (American, British,
Dutch, Australian command is now
In ruins. The United Nations are
shifting their resistance to India
and Australia. But growing num-
Der of competent observers are
agreed that the Russian front will
prove this year the true bulwark of
the Allies. In that zone the odds
against the Axis are much greater
than anywhere else.
For the spring offensive in Russia.
II authoritative sources are to be be-
Geved, not more than Is armored
divisions are available to the Reichs-
Uehr, and the elite of the troops
trained to mechanical warfare has
probably been wiped out in the long
campaign of attrition which still
goes on. That fact accounts for the
Nazi call to Japan and also for Rus
slas call to her partners.
(Released by the North American
Newspaper Alliance Incl