Japan and the Powers in China

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22268, 6 December 1937, Page 8

Japan and the Powers in China

British and American newspapers have hastened to apply to the action of the Japanese military authorities in marching troops across the International Settlement and the French Concession at Shanghai such adjectives as “senseless,” “ petty,” and “ unprovoked.” The suggestion that the demonstrations were prompted by nothing more than arrogance and exuberance is, however, very wide of the mark. The methods of the Japanese militarists are sometimes crude but never purposeless; and in this instance the purpose is fairly plain. The demonstrations were, in the first place, a calculated attempt to discover to what lengths the foreign Powers interested in China, and particularly Great Britain and America, are prepared to go in resisting Japan’s claims. The result has been, for Japan, encouraging; and it can be anticipated that before very long the Japanese Government will formally demand substantial modifications in the status and control of the International Settlement. “ The “ Powers with interests in China,” says “ The “ Times ” hopefully, “ have put up with a great “deal from Japan, but it would be a “ mistake for Japan to exaggerate the “ amount of damage she has done them “ and to base cn that how much further “ she can go with impunity.” The truth is, however, that the march across the International Settlement has shown only too clearly that the Powers are in no position to be firm with Japan; and the Japanese military leaders must now feel justifiably confident that they are in a commanding position. The manoeuvre has been employed before with equal success. A month before the outbreak of the war in North China, Japanese forces occupied without right or provocation certain islands in the Amur river which were unquestionably Russian territory. It is now apparent that the purpose was to discover whether Russia was disposed to play a strong hand in China. A second reason for the demonstrations was the possibility that they would end in a riot and thus afford a pretext for the Japanese commander to assume sole responsibility for the maintenance of law and order in the International Settlement. Only the prompt action of a Chinese policeman prevented that pretext from being given.