Evening star., 1945-07-29

FOTStgH HctuttOUS SOHtHke6too W WV
United States Senate, has long spe-
cidlized in the study OF Astdttc al
fairs and has toritten books 'ohich
deal ,oith the subject. Since our
entry into the toar ne has been
,oorking with the ODice OF War IN
formation, making broddcdsts to me
japanese urging them to surrenderj
It is strange position we are In
across the Pacific. We are doing most
of the fighting against japan. though
we have less in the way of tangible in
terests than half a dozen other nations,
less than China, Russia, France, Great
Britain, Holland, or several other states.
Our purpose in Asia since 1898, when we
went to the Philippines and opposed the
partitioning of China by European pow
ers, has been the promotion of peace. but
we find ourselves engaged in the most
violent war ever fought. Our object is
to defeat the japanese SO thoroughly
that they will never again become an
aggressor nation, but the aggressions Of
others are still an unsolved problem, and
Asiatic peoples other than the Japanese
are asking whether aggression Is right
for only the white man.
We are leading the nations Of the
world in laying plans for ending war, but
face a situation seething with strife IN
Asia even more than in Europe. Though
we are rejoicing over the signing of the
San Francisco Charter by the repre-
sentatives of so nations, we are not de-
ceiving ourselves about the dangers
ahead. The President, the Secretary OF
State and the delegates of both our
political parties have been careful to
point out that the Charter Is only the
machinery for peace which cannot oper-
ate by itself. After being started it could
be stopped at any time by failure Of one
Of the chief engineers to cooperate or
by one of the others throwing monkey
wrench into the works.
While this is no time for pessimism,
It is not to soon to face the fact that we
have entered into colossal undertaking.
1t is a long-term problem replete with
potential disturbances; it is not local
and temporary issue. When we have
beaten the japanese we will only have
begun to play part in the affairs of
Asia. We will only have cut wart, so
to speak, of the side Of continent dis
tressed with series Of deep-seated dis
eases.
Not Always Disunited.
The European holdings in Asia are
only one of the causes of disturbance.
The European powers we're able to enter
the domain Of the East because of the
disunion among the peoples and superior
development in weapons Of war and or
ganization. They were always inferior
in numbers to the people over whom
they took control. But the peoples of
Asia were not always disunited or less
wen armed. They have been so strong
at times that they entered Europe. The
Mohammedans drove their way as far
as the gates of Vienna and across North
Africa up into Spain; and the Chinese
once dominated Asia as far as the Black
Sea.
While the Japanese have been the
only Asiatic people to unite and arm
themselves in the modern manner,
their example could be followed BY
others who are more numerous and bet
ter endowed with territory and resources.
Beside the problem of Asia that of
Europe is minor Asia is the largest of
the continents in both area and popu-
lation. 1t has population of IS hum
dred millions. The people of China
alone outnumber all Of those of Europe
450 600 compared with $4,000 900. If
the Chinese leaders had not waged war
among themselves after the overthrow
OF the Manchu dynasty and the procla-
nation of the republic, if they had
pooled their armies and devoted their
efforts to modernizing the state, they
would have been strong enough to defy
invasion by any aggressor. They had
20 years in which to unite and prepare
for their defense against nation of
only 80 or 80 MILAN people, inhabiting
a group OF islands of their coast The
population of Japan is only fifth OF
that Of China and only 6 per cent Of
that of Asia.
Lacks Raw Materials.
Their islands are not much larger
than the Philippines, and, being mostly
mountainous, only about quarter of
the land is arabic. They contain no
supply of oil, very little iron and not
much coal. The British, French and
Dutch possessions are each much larger
and richer in resources. The story
would be different, of course, if the jap
anese had succeeded in consolidating
their conquests, but now they have no
chance Of doing this. We have seen to
it that they shall not and that they
will not again be a major problem In
Eastern Asia.
But by crushing Japan's power we do
not solve the problem of Asia. If we
should wipe Japan out of existence it
would hardly make dent on the enor-
nous continent. Vast areas would
hardly feel the difference. The sooner,
therefore, we stop thinking of the prob
lem Of war or peace in terms of doing
to Japan what has been done to Ger
many, the sooner we shall become real
istic about the huge, sprawling, t,rbu-
lent, hungered and harassed continent
that has always had in 1t the seeds of
war. We would do well to consider not
only what We are going to do for Asia
but also what Asia is likely to do to us.
Across that entire continent, begin
ming in China and extending through