The Wanganui Chronicle. MONDAY, JULY 21. 1941 PACTS AND POLICIES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 85, Issue 169, 21 July 1941, Page 4

The Wanganui Chronicle. MONDAY, JULY 21. 1941 PACTS AND POLICIES

JN'TEJt.XATION'AL bargains have been made of laic with the express purpose of deceiving (lie contracting parties. Before flic world situation can improve a. "better standard of international morality must be generally adopted. Germany’s breaches of faith have keen so many that, further additions to the list would not make any difl'ci'enee to her reputation. Japan, on the other hand, could at one time boast that she had never broken a treaty obligation. Japan then stood well with the world, and particularly so after she had defeated litissia in J 905. The success of the Japanese David over the Russian Goliath was warmly applauded, and the emergence from their feudal isolationism of this plucky island people was a. development in which both America and Great Britain took pride, the pride which is engendered by a friend’s aceomplishmeiii.

To-day Japan stands poised to take the plunge upon an even more desperate, adventure than she has yet essayed. Iler problems are many; indeed her condition may be considered critical, for her internal economy is being subjected to severe strains which may prove to be too much for if. As month

succeeds month the strain upon her people increases. The Japanese arc amenable to discipline and rweept hardship and deprivation with Oriental fatalism. But can the rulers of Japan be su're that their people, already severely tried by four years of war. will be able to accept the further strain which another war will impose on them? There are obviously dangerous elements operating in the internal life of Japan to-day. These elements in the situation are, and must ever be, affected deeply every time Japan makes a change of front in her international policy. Every new move is hailed as a step towards the ending of war or the provention of the spread of war, but the China incident remains an unsolved problem and an unending military commitment. The aiiti-Comintern part which was signed with Germany and Italy brought no real security to the, Japanese people, because neither Germany nor Italy could do anything to. help them should Russia make a move against liwir country. The pact appeared to be only a commitiiient entered into tor the purpose of aiding Germany. When Germany did become involved in a war Japan’s part was that of a supplier of munitions ami raw materials; but when Germany atta<-l;eil Russia the geographical nexus was severed between Germany ami Japan. Before this break' occurred, however, Japan had entered into a pact with Russia. What are Hie Japanese, people to think of a. situation in which their Government signs a friendship pact with both contestants and then takes up a partisan attitude towards the one which counts least to her?

Japan may decide not to attack Russia s Asiatic produces, but she is evidently now contemplating doing so. and probably will hasten to do so in order to be in at the kill if Germany succeeds in smashing Russia’s western deleiiei line. Assuming that both Germany and Japan find it convenient to act in concert and attack Russia, there is small probability that this dual

attack will be successful in the long run ami it may not tie. so in the short ither. hi tlwir previous military skirmish. 8 the Russians have given the Japanese a good account of themselves, and they will probably do so again. Should Germany be siie.-essfttl and Japan suffer a reverse, can the latter hope, to be advantaged by reason of German influence? The experience of Bulgaria does not support an optimistic view of Japan’s future if it depends upon Germany. In the ease of Bulgaria the belief was cn-render. d in flic minds of Um Bulgars that if they joined up with the Axis Hitler would reward their perfidy to Ihe other Balkan States by I'ceonstrueting a Greater Bulgaria, with a coastline and a port on the Black Sea and another on the Aegean Sea. Even the. possession oi the port of Salonika was among Hie glittering prizes that. Hitler dangled before Bulgarian eyes. The Bulgars are to-day a. disillusioned people. None of the promises has been fulfilled and their country is tied to Hitler’s chariot. Japan can hope for no better treatment in a Nazi-dominated world.

On the other hand—despite the deficiencies in the world order which the Japanese are now contemplating whether they shall assist to destroy—Japan was able to enter into competition successfully with other industrialised countries and io become relatively a wealthy country, for she enjoyed a credit economy. Had she pursued the path of peace, and had she thrown her weight into the balance on the side of an improved world order under which an ever-increasing sense of international obligation was being fostered, she would assuredly now lie a wealthier nation with a people very much happier. Everything desirable would presumably not have been achieved by now. but some progress would have been made and the margin of tasks remaining to be accomplished would have constituted a debit entry m Japan’s accounting very much smaller than the entry which is now being written into the record.

Japan is still uncommitted: tin re is time for her to refrain from taking the plunge which may result in her being swept into tiie maelstrom, it is to he hoped that she will continue to ponder upon her future, looking beyond the immediate gain that a 'intekster reaps to the more solid and lasting business which is attracted to. ami maintained over I lie years, by a firm or a country which has been assiduous in building up an unassailable goodwill.