End of Appeasement In The Pacific

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23353, 12 June 1941, Page 4

End of Appeasement In The Pacific

The breakdown in discussions between the Netherlands East Indies and Japan marks another stage in the pressure politics of the Pacific. After months of protracted negotiation Japan has failed to monopolise the trade of the Indies and to open these islands to fifth-column penetration. From one point of view the significance of Japan’s failure is plain. The Dutch East Indies have moved a long way from their previous policy of being at war in Europe and neutral in the Pacific. The logic of events has apparently been faced. To-day a State is either at war or non-belligerent; and if it is to remain non-belligerent, especially when it occupies a position of strategical importance, it must follow a policy of appeasement to the Axis. After toying with such a policy, the Dutch of the Indies have at last learnt the lesson of their mother country’s fate. “Japan’s “allies are our enemies,” wrote the Batavia “Java Bode” in an outspoken leading article last week. “If Japan had not linked herself “with our enemies, with the consequent dan- “ ger of some of our products falling into Ger“man hands, there would be no objection to “ fulfilling her requests.” This gives some clue to the nature of the Japanese demands. It would appear that they asked for a virtual monopoly in rubber, tin, quinine, and fatproducing products. In reply, the Dutch offered to base quantities on the average of Japan’s imports for an undisclosed number of years, pointing out to Japan’s delegates that their country was now in a position to expand its imports of these products greatly from IndoChina and Thailand. If Japan’s demands had been acceded to, not only would there have been a surplus for re-export to Germany, but the United States and Britain would have been pushed out of East Indian markets. It seems that the United States was unwilling that this should happen, and behind the Dutch refusal must be seen the armed forces of Britain in the Pacific and America. The many conferences at Singapore, the comings and goings of defence chiefs, naval squadrons, and Dr. van Kleffens, Netherlands Foreign Minister, evidently point to some sort of military understanding for common defence in the Far East. For some time Japanese newspapers and commentators have affirmed the existence of such a pact. Certainly the United States Government has taken steps to strengthen the Netherlands East Indies’ defences. Recently the State Department permitted the export of 57,000,000 dollars’ worth of war equipment to Batavia. What Japan will do next is not clear. It has been suggested that Japan is not happy in the Tripartite Pact and is dissatisfied with her Russian agreement, It is certain that Admiral Nomura, Ambassador in Washington, has tried his best in recent weeks to secure a non-aggression pact with the United States. The State Department has made no effort to explore the possibilities. Americans, generally, have been unable to make up their minds whether the. Japanese advances are sincere. If Berlin and Rome have foreknowledge of them, it might appear that the .Pacific is being prepared for some nAvy act of treachery.