Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1943-07-09
Jealousy
Within Axis
By Ramon Lapalle

BY Ramon Laualle
(WNU Feature-Through special arrangement
with The American Magazine)
I have just arrived in America
from Tokyo. AS neutral diplomat
have seen, beyond the curtain Of
censorship and terror, Japan at war.
I was the Argentine consul in Hong
Kong when the Japs conquered and
looted that city. Later l was Sec
ond in charge of the Argentine En-
bassy in Tokyo, where l remained
until recently, when I was able to
leave Japanese territory via ST.
IBERIA.
AS soon as I arrived in Tokyo l
began to notice an atmosphere of
fear and dread in the foreign en-
bassies and legations such as I had
never seen in diplomatic circles be-
fore, even under wartime conditions.
Strangely enough, this existed
among the Germans and Italians as
well as among the representatives
of neutral nations.
1t was caused partly by the
constant spying and surveillance
Of the Japanese police, partly
by the annoyances and insults
to which all Europeans were
subjected when they went into
the streets (quite unlike the jap
anese politeness Of former
tines, and partly by the Of
fensive arrogance Of Japanese
officialdom, fed fat with the
great early victories.
saw an official of the Italian En-
bassy get into a taxicab at the rail-
way station. Three Japanese came
along and wanted the cab. They
reached in, yanked the Italian dip
lomat out, punched him and got
into the cab.
Polite to Russians.
The Russians, who had a large
diplomatic staff, kept very close to
themselves within the spacious quar-
tiers of their embassy. Whenever
they ventured out, they were closely
followed by numbers of Japanese
police. But the Japs, mindful of
Russian air bases within range Of
Tokyo, were careful to preserve a
correct attitude toward their pow
erful neighbors.
The Japs held the Italians in con-
tempt because of the failures of the
Italian troops in Europe. The Ital-
ians feared the Japs, and several of
them told me that if they lose in
Europe and thus become useless to
the Japanese as military allies, they
believe the japanese will massacre
them.
The attitude of the Germans in
Tokyo toward their Japanese allies,
the Honorary Aryans," is one Of
mingled suspicion and dislike, which
verged toward uneasiness and fear
as Germany began to suffer mill
tary reverses in Russia and Africa.
Last fall there were three German
raiders moored at the main pier
in Yokohama harbor, near Tokyo
one a cruiser and two converted
merchant ships. There was also,
nearby, prize ship, captured from
the British. l saw many of the Ger
man crew members from these ships
shortly before they were preparing
to sail.
Then one morning We heard Sc
ries of explosions, heavy enough to
shake out windows. We got into the
embassy car and drove across to
Yokohama. The town was in con-
fusion, with much shattered window
glass in the streets, fire sirens
screaming and ambulances racing
toward the docks. We learned that
all three of the German ships, and
a tanker fueling them with oil, had
blown up. The prize ship and an
other ship were on fire.
There was intense anger that
evening among the German col
ony in Tokyo. 1t was freely
charged at the German Club,
that "this is the jealous rivalry
of the Japanese, who are envious
of the Reich, and have sabo-
tagged our ships and killed our
Sailors"
About 80 German sailors were
killed, 160 injured and many more
missing. No word of this disaster
was allowed to get into the Japa-
nese press. What the true origin
of the explosions was I was never
able to find out. Some Japanese Of
ficials told me that two American
submarines had crept into the har-
Dor and torpedoed the ships. But
the next day they realized that this
cast doubt on the invincible Jap
navy, so they changed their story to
Chinese communist spies and sabo-
tours.
The Germans had other griev-
ances against their Jap allies. There
were many German families from
Java who had taken refuge in Tokyo
while the Japs were conquering the
Dutch East Indies. These families
owned valuable lands and proper
ties in Java. After the Japs had
completed their conquest, these Ger
mans wanted to go back and resume
possession and management of their
estates.
The Japs bluntly told them this
was impossible. Java was mill
tary zone" and would remain so in