Advice to Japan

You are on Hitler's list before us.

That was what Saburo Kurusu was hearing in Washington last week. The Japanese envoy saw Secretary Hull and then remained in seclusion, less like a diplomat awaiting new orders than like a casualty in the war of nerves. The U.S. suggestion was enough to give any diplomat an attack of nerves: long before Hitler is prepared to take on North America, he must have Japan completely subservient to his will.

No complete list of Japanese proposals reached the public. But it was reported that to most of them--Japanese pledges not to invade Siberia, to get out of French Indo-China, to make many minor concessions--the U.S. continued to quote Mein Kampf. Aside from the moral issues involved, the U.S. cannot let Japan--and Hitler--get control of China's huge man power. Four points were given as summing up Secretary Hull's counter-demands on the Japanese: 1) that Japan withdraw from the Axis; 2) get out of China and French Indo-China; 3) renounce aggression; 4) observe the principle of equal trade opportunity in the Pacific.

Can any Japanese Government withdraw from China? Japan has spent a million lives there.

But is the U.S., in demanding that Japan get out of China, denying her a place to live? Said Raymond Clapper: "In a peaceful Pacific, with opportunity open to all nations, with vastly increased trade upon which Japan is so dependent, her chances are much better. . . ." It was rumored that, if Japan would play ball, the U.S. would put up $100,000,000 to help Japan switch from a war to a peace economy; that Japanese war supplies to Russia would keep Japan's factories going.

Saburo Kurusu made only one statement : he asked for silence. Japanese newspapers headlined doubts of the success of his mission. There were no signs that Japan could still think of a peaceful Pacific.* Tension was increased when the U.S. Consulate at Saigon, in Japan-dominated Indo-China, was bombed. As U.S.Japanese talks made no progress, Secretary Hull held two conferences with the representatives of Australia, Britain, China, The Netherlands. The U.S. occupation of Dutch Guiana (see p. 13) was a powerful demonstration of U.S.-Dutch collaboration, a warning that there would be more collaboration if Japan should move against the Dutch East Indies.

At last Saburo Kurusu called on Secretary Hull again, this time at night at his hotel, and stayed for three hours. There was still no statement. Around the brownstone Japanese Embassy, biggest and loneliest in Washington, the atmosphere was like a hospital street where the signs read Quiet, Please.

* This week a Japanese business expert on the U.S. gave the islanders eight U.S. "weaknesses" showing that it is no match for Japan: 1) the national debt; 2) a "spoiled child mentality"; 3) low national morale (at the first defeat Taft, Nye & Lindbergh will lead a revolt); 4) Roosevelt, "a buffoon"; 5) hesitancy; 6) "Americans excite easily and cool easily"; 7) disunity--with 20,000,000 Negroes, 10,000,000 unemployed, 5,000,000 trade unionists; 8) inflation.

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