Salt Lake Telegram | 1941-02-24 | Page 6 | War Threat in the Far East

t War Threat in f the he Far East FROM ROM news reports on the crisis in the t far r 1 east one would expect to wake up any morning now to black headlines announcing that war had started between Japan and a Brit Brit- Dutch ish-Dutch alliance very possibly involving the United States With all the troop movements naval concentrations concentrations con con- diplomatic warnings and official breast beatings the situation does docs look serious That It Is serious in one way well we'll admit but were we're going to hazard the guess that It wont won't result in war in the near future That's just a guess and it may prove wrong Yet there are good reasons for that conclusion Japan Is still heavily involved in China She has hold of the tigers tiger's tail tall and dare not let go golor for lor fear Lear the tiger will turn and rend her to pieces That means much of Japans Japan's available military and naval and air power must remain on the Job in China merely holding the lines even though no offensive action Is taken Furthermore Japan still has a none too friendly Russia on her northern flank well flank well armed well entrenched hed and able to cause Japan Ja pan plenty of grief in the event the present armed truce between Japan and Russia became open conflict Lastly the combination of Brit American Dutch ish-Dutch power in the south Pacific is consid consid- erable crable It It would be very risky for Japan to take on such a foe at any time even considerIng considering consider consider- ing that Britain is now he heavily engaged else else- where We doubt very much if Japan will make the attempt The seriousness of the present situation lies not so much in ma ina a Japanese threat as in the British and American show of force in the far east Both nations recently have been showing Japan that they are serious about defending the South Pacific That's where the seriousness comes in What's really going on in the far east right now is a gigantic game of poker Japan is feinting In the direction of Singapore and the Dutch East Indies as a diversion to help her ally G Germany It Is an attempt to make both America and Britain nervous over the threat of war in that area and compel both nations to turn some som of their attention their energy and their armed strength to that sector We are answering that feint with a bold front warning Japan to watch her step and to not carry her demonstration too far It isn't likely that Japan for the sake of Germany will risk everything she has gained in the far east by forcing war Certainly she will not do so unless she can make peace with China and make a deal with Russia which will secure her northern flank If she can accomplish push those two objectives then war Is possible possible pos pOSe sible although e even en Cn then it isn't Inevitable That's our guess In a few weeks or months you'll know just how good a guess it is