Noted Journalist Does Not Fear Japan In Pacific

Northern Advocate, 28 April 1939, Page 7

Noted Journalist Does Not Fear Japan In Pacific

[Special to “Northern Advocate ”] AUCKLAND, This Day. “Having a fairly close knowledge of the progress of the war in China, and also of the economic conditions in Japan, I say that the menace to Australia or New Zealand from Japan has been much over-rated,” said Mr Marc T. Greece, the well-known commentator on international events, who is at present ip Auckland. He left China in February of this year, after having spent five months there travelling about the country and having frequent interviews with the leaders of the Chinese army. He also spent about ten weeks in Japan, just before the outbreak of the war. Japan’s Hands Tied. Japan’s hands were almost completely tied with her present venture, he said. The war was not progressing in Japan’s favour; and in those circumstances he had no hesitation in stating that any attempt by Japan to come into the Pacific to the Commonwealth or the Dominion was out of the question.

The war so far had cost Japan 10,000,000,000 yen, and a yen at present was worth about 1/2 sterling. The national debt was now about one-third of that of the United States of America, and had probably doubled in the past two years. No less than 90 per cent, of the last Budget had gone to meet the expenses of the war. Actually, it was impossible to estimate with accuracy what the war had cost. Break With Axis Powers. In his view, there would never be any chance of Japan adhering to the Axis Powers in Europe. It would not be politic for Japan to enmesh herself in tangling alliances in Europe. Another point was that Japan did not want to take any move which would offend the United States. Unstable Allies. The totalitarian States in Europe were not very stable economically, a fact of which Japan was doubtless aware. Japan did not want to be tied to Powers which might fall and drag her with them. When Mr Greene was informed of the fact that a cable confirming his views had been received, he commented that it would help the safety of the Pacific. Mr Green I’eferrod briefly to the position of Russia in the Far East. Russia, he thought, would never permit the final subjugation of China by Japan. In the meantime, Russia was pursuing a policy of watchful waiting.