On the Alert

New York Times's Tokyo Correspondent Hugh Byas is genial, red-faced, slow-moving, and his Scottish burr is thick as haggis. He is besides generally considered the most reliable foreign correspondent in Japan. Last week he cabled home an extraordinary dispatch. His subject was Japanese alertness with regard to The Netherlands East Indies. He concluded the cable with the following words, which he said Foreign Minister Hachiro Arita had probably sent to Japanese envoys everywhere, had certainly addressed to the Foreign Office staff in Tokyo:

"There is a possibility that the European war will terminate soon. Even assuming that Japanese relations with the U. S. are not likely to change before the Presidential election and that there is no immediate risk of American interference in East Asia, it is possible that this fall will witness an important liquidation, the world over.

"Japan will therefore face a very important situation, which will determine the success or otherwise of the New Order in East Asia. In dealing with this situation special efforts are necessary and much will depend on the alertness and ability of the Japanese Foreign Service."

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