JAPAN’S PLIGHT IN CHINA

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22355, 19 March 1938, Page 7

JAPAN’S PLIGHT IN CHINA

“Economic Situation In Sorry State”

MUCH AGITATION AGAINST BRITISH

[THE PRESS Special Service.]

AUCKLAND. March 18,

Features of the present position in the Far East were discussed by Mr W. L. Holland, research secretary of the Institute of Pacific Relations, of New York, upon his arrival by the Monterey. Born in Timaru, Mr Holland has been engaged with the institute in America, Hawaii, and the Far East since 1928. He contends that Japan has become embarrassed because of the amount of territory it has conquered and can give up none of it for financial reasons without admitting virtual defeat. “It must be realised,” said Mr Holland, "that Japan has not enjoyed the easy victory she seems to have had. There is a. definite doubt, whether Japan will even win the war. Because of tremendous economic handicaps, she has been unable to progress far in spite of her amazing military superiority. Japan was greatly disillusioned by the Chinese resistance, and what was intended to be a short, sharp invasion into a slice of the Northern Province of China has, because of this resistance, involved the country in a nation-wide war. State of the War

“The situation is now very serious,” he said. “The Chinese may hold the Japanese for a while, but not indefinitely. They are prepared, however, to retire into the Western Province, which is practically inaccessible, and from there they will keep up a series of guerrilla actions ffcr several years, if necessary. At the moment Chma is getting a little alien support, and with the aid of British, American, and Russian air pilots has been able to do much damage to the Japanese communications. Cost of the War

“The Japanese economic situation is in a sorry state,” Mr Holland continued. “It is costing her far beyond her wish to garrison large areas that were not wanted, but which now have to be retained. Imports have been limited drastically, so that only goods for war purposes enter the country. The tragedy of the thing is that the Japanese people, who did not want the war, were pushed into it by militarist groups, aiming to conquer the whole of Eastern Asia. The people made no secret of the fact that Great Britain, and not China, is their enemy, and that but for its intervention the war would have been over long ago. Hostility Towards British “The amount of anti-British agitation in Japan at present is amazing, said Mr Holland. “Britain is being denounced as the great obstructor of Japan’s Imperial destiny. It is also surprising that Japan Is more hostile to England than to Soviet Russia. Actually their threat against Communism is for propaganda purposes only. Speaking of America’s attitude toward the war, Mr Holland said that there was much resentment and bitterness against Japan, which had tried unsuccessfully to overcome this feeling —a feeling; strikingly shown in the strong boycott movement without official backing. The present American naval programme was designed with a view to action in the Pacific. and though it was not publicly admitted by Mr Roosevelt, it was understood that England. would "join naval forces in the event of a Japanese attempt to extend its activities beyond China into the Philippines, the Dutch East Indies, and Malava.