The Auckland Star WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News. The Echo and The Sun. MONDAY, MAY 29, 1939. JAPANESE BLOCKADE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 124, 29 May 1939, Page 8

The Auckland Star WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News. The Echo and The Sun.

MONDAY, MAY 29, 1939. JAPANESE BLOCKADE.

For the cause that lacks assistance, For the wrong that needs resistance, For the future in the distance, And the good that we can do.

Tho Japanese blockade of the China I'on.st will no doubt be defended on the μ-ronnd of the exigencies of war —though oflicinlly three is no war —but it is hard to see how it ciin he justified on that ground. The full of Canton last October deprived the Chinese of their Inst important port of entry for war materials from abroad, and the ((lwintities of such materials that may be shipped through small ports cannot be great. China's front door has been virtually closed, and her Government is believed to be relying more on supplies through the back doors — overland from Russia, and through French Indo-China and Burma. Supplies from Russia cannot be stopped, except perhaps by air raids. The traffic through French Indo-China is understood to have been considerably reduced, through Japanese diplomatic pressure. As to the traffic through Burma it may be presumed that the Japanese blockade will not extend to Rangoon, for the Singapore naval base stands in the way. From the point of view of the Chinese, therefore, the blockade can hardly make an appreciable difference, but for the Powers trading on the China coast its importance is obvious.

When tho .Tiipanese occupied tile <T'liiiio~t» islniiil of Hjiinan it was suspected that the; move was directed less jignins! C'hin;i than auaiiist the Western Powers, but assurances were fiiveu tluit the occupation was only for the duration of the war. Next the Japanese not only occupied but annexed the Spratley Islands, about half-way between French Indo-China and British North Borneo. These islands are claimed to have been annexed by France in 1933, and in any case they have little or nothing to do with the China war. Before these seizures the Japanese had continuously pressed for a greater measure of control in Shanghai, Tientsin and other "treaty ports," and their pressure has since become stronger. It is fairly obvious that their object is not to control these cities and ports for the purposes and the duration of the war, but for the future, and the blockade must be regarded as another means of reaching that objective. It remains to be seen whether Britain, France and the United States will submit to the blockade. It will certainly be intensified or relaxed accordingly a.-, their attitude is weak or strong.