The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED THE Evening News, Morning News, The Echo and The Sun. FRIDAY, JANUARY 12, 1940. AMERICA AND JAPAN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 10, 12 January 1940, Page 6

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

FRIDAY, JANUARY 12, 1940. AMERICA AND JAPAN.

For the ctntte that lacks ateittanoc. For the wrong that reede retietatnet, For the future in the distance, A*4lh« food that we ran tkt.

J;i I inn's assertion of her right— I'viMi Iter duty—to »'j*tal»lij«h a "new order" in the Far Kant continues to leave the I'niled States unimpressed. The two nations with the greatest eoinnirrria! interests in China — Britain and America—have repeatedly made strong protests, both on moral and material grounds, against Japan's policy, and while the exigencies o£ the Kurojiean situation have caused Britain to withdraw the greater part of her troops from China, thereby apparently leaving Japan with n freer luind, she has iinide it clear that her attitude towards Japanese poliey in the Far Knat remains the same. Under no compulsion from other considerations, the United States lias neither withdrawn its troops nor iu any way modi/led its attitude. Rather, it has not only s|x>ken still more strongly, but libs threatened to follow up its words by economic action —a course which would, in the long run, be most damaging to Japan and against which she is least able to retaliate. The proposal of Mr. Htimson, who was Secretary of State in the Hoover administration, that Congress should pass a bill prohibiting the export to Japan of munition* of war, deserves particular attention :it this stage, because on the 'Jtitli of this month the trade agreement, between the United States and Japan is due to expire.

Mr. fitimsoii's suggestion is in lino with the bluntly expressed warning given in November by the American Ambasador to Tokyo, Mr. Grew, and by Mr. Key Pittmnn, chairman of the foreign Relations Committee of the Sefiate. Mr. Orcw warned Japan of the danger of economic pressure if the present programme in China was continued. Mr. Pittman hinted that unless Japan improved her relations with the United States before the commercial treaty expired Congress would place an embargo on export*. From men in their position those warnings could only be regarded as official. Now, through Mr. Stimson, one of the most influential private citieens in the country, another virtual warning has been given. In the realisation, on the one hand, that America meant business and, on the other, that her position in China was far from secure, Japan has not been entirely unresponsive to these warnings. Her offer last month to reopen the Yangtse Itiver for foreign ships, and therefore for foreign trade, was evidence of this, while twice in the past two months she has approached Washington in an effort to better mutual relations. But Washington wanted , deeds, not words. It appears that Japan is in a cteft stick. She . wants to prosecute a war and, at the same time, to asiure other Powers that their commercial and property Interests will be safeguarded. She cannot well do both. Her only escapc from her quandary, it seeing would be through a drastic modification of her war aims in China.