Evening star., 1945-08-25
japan Problem Called
Only Primary in Asia
America Needs Wider Outlook,
Tokyo Publisher Tells Writer
By David Laurence

AOhyO uDllSuST CHS w r1teT
By Dauid Laurence
Most people in America have been
thinking Of Japan as the primary prob
lem in the Far East and their thoughts
have been turned to the effects Of the
unconditional surrender terms on Japan.
B. W. Fleisher, for many years pub
Usher of daily newspaper in Tokyo
printed in English, told this CORE
spondent today that Americans had
better take a broader look.
"The main problem" he said, "is
Asia-not just Japan. The spirit of
the people OF Asia; is still what it was
before Japan began her cry of Asia for
the Asiatics.' We may not like 1t but
we shall have to adjust our sights and
look at the whole Asiatic problem rather
than just our relations to Japan
There are 1,150,000,O00 people in
Asia. When you consider that In North
and South America, there are about
275,000,000 and around 100000, 900 in
Europe outside of Russia, you perceive
that the bulk of the worlds population
Is in Asia.
I'm Asia there are many unsettled
problems. The people of India are faced
with various movements in their be-
half looking toward their independence.
The problem of China with its many
factions Is not going to be settled over
night. 1t is not strictly internal either.
For there is the question of Hong Kong,
on which the Chinese viewpoint differs
from that Of the British.
Russia in Picture.
Russia has come into the pic...>
too and she Is in every sense an Asiatic
power. It should be noted that Indo-
China is apparently going back to the
French and the Dutch East Indies are
going back under Dutch control.
II do not attempt to predict the out
come Of the many conflicting claims and
desires that exist, but we cannot sim
plify the matter by thinking that in
defeating Japan we have solved the
situation Of the Far East We have
only begun to face larger problems which
have in them the seeds of more and
more trouble for the world"
What Mr.. Fleisher says is concurred
in by many thoughtful observers here
who feel that sooner or later there will
be anti-imperialist movement In Asia
which will cause all Asiatics to unite
behind the countries that insist on rul-
ing their own territories without foreign
interference or domination.
Japan wisely chose to surrender. She
maintains her plant and manufacture
ing facilities and in a couple years will
be rid of our occupying armies. But her
economic situation will be bad. She
will find it difficult to restore her trade,
especially since she will lose valuable
resources such as she possessed In Man.
churia, China and Korea.
Japan is likely to undergo a complete
change in her foreign policy She will
endeavor to build friendship with China
and the United States, believing that in
the long run she has more to gain by
going along with American policy, espe-
cially since the United States has more
influence as rule with China and can
better promote stability than any other
nation.
British Problem Acute.
The British have an acute problem in
the Far East. They want to maintain
the trade they have had there, but they
have been losing friends in Asia. They
dropped the Anglo-Japanese alliance in
1921 but have not built in its place the
strong ties that were expected to de-
velop with China.
AS for China, the pronouncement BY
Prime Minister Attlee that he supports
the Churchill policy of recovering Hong
Kong will ALLEVIATE the Chinese. It was
apparent at San Francisco, among the
Chinese diplomats there, that they
hoped the British would make a gesture
OF true friendship for China by offering
to give up Hong Kong. But the Brit
1sh government under Mr.. Churchill
wouldn't agree and now that the Labor
administration goes along with the
policy Of the preceding administration.
the Chinese will have to strive to settle
the matter some other way.
1t is not at all improbable that
serious dispute will arise about tho
sovereignty Of the port of Hong Kong
and 1t may have to be disposed of in
the end by some sort of compromise
involving Decentralization and re-
Affirmation Of certain British property
rights.