Strategy Reversed

"Japan's foreign policy will be renovated," said Japan's sickly little strong man, Premier Prince Fumimaro Konoye, soon after he stepped into power last July. Prince Konoye's new Foreign Minister, tall-talking Yosuke Matsuoka, put the matter more plainly. Said he: "The Japanese race rolled into a ball of fire and sweeping everything before it--that is the character of the new regime."

Foreign Minister Matsuoka began sending Japanese policy to the cleaners without delay. In the most drastic shake-up in the history of Japan's diplomatic service he recalled 40 diplomats suspected of leaning toward the London-Washington Axis. Most experienced and important diplomat purged was Ambassador to Washington Kensuke Horinouchi, who is tactful, smooth and inoffensive, but decidedly no ball of fire. By last week five men had respectfully declined the post of Ball-of-Fire to Washington. Reason: relations between Japan and the U. S. are fast getting no better.

Undisguised Challenge. "Relations between the two countries have become so acute that . . . almost every issue between them is charged with the danger of war," said the Tokyo newspaper Kokumin last week. Kokumin is no irresponsible sheet, but the Army's newspaper as Prince Konoye is the Army's Premier. "This dangerous and gloomy situation," Kokumin added, "is all of American making."

Sore points with the Japanese are Secretary of State Cordell Hull's warning to Japan to preserve the status quo in French Indo-China and the U. S. embargo on export of oil and scrap iron to Japan. Behind these moves is U. S. opposition to Japanese expansion southward, where lie vital rubber and tin.

But the Japanese do not like it and even take offense at the transfer of U. S. destroyers to Britain. "It is not difficult to see what the United States is aiming at," said Kokumin. "By leasing the British bases in the Atlantic, the United States is foreshadowing its future advance in the Pacific. . . . It is now believed that it will extend its grip on Singapore and The Netherlands Indies by speeding up the expansion of bases on Guam, Midway and other Pacific possessions. It is only natural that the Japanese Navy, with its policy of non-menace and nonaggression, should be greatly concerned over this undisguised challenge by the United States."

Exposed Flank. Most serious obstacle to any all-out move by Japan is the exposure of her northern flank to an attack by Soviet Russia. Russia has tested this flank several times since the Sino-Japanese War began, and each time had managed to draw Japanese strength away from the attack on China. As Japan bogged deeper in the China Incident she grew less & less antagonistic toward Russia, and lately the Japanese have been downright friendly. Last month the old Manchukuo-Outer Mongolia frontier dispute was settled with considerable backing-down by Japan. Last week that part of the Japanese press which is closest to the Foreign Office began making fresh overtures.

"The situation is quite clear," said Nichi Nichi. "Japan's and Russia's big interests demand mutual amity. In no sense can a new East Asia be built up in disregard of the U. S. S. R."

"The Soviet must now concentrate on European operations and Japan must make its southward policy a more positive step," said Hochi. "Therein lies the full possibility of adjusting Japanese-Soviet relations. Japan's traditional strategy of defending the south and advancing in the north must be reversed. Now is the time for a passive policy in the north and a vigorous advance southward."

Before Japan can get very far in her new friendship she must overcome: 1) Russian suspicion of Japan, and 2) Japanese suspicion of Russia. Last week, coincidentally with the press campaign, Foreign Minister Matsuoka named a new Ambassador to Moscow: Lieut. General Yoshitsugu Tate-kawa. A leader in the anti-British campaign since 1937, skillful, politically ambitious General Tatekawa remarked: "The British are a crafty lot, smooth-spoken but always with something up their sleeves. I can get along with the Russians better."

With genial sophistry the new Ambassador explained how he will try to overcome the two obstacles to friendship. "I will simply say: 'Tovarish Molotov,' and start getting acquainted with the Soviet big shots," said he. "I have no use for Communists but I like Russians. They are pure-minded and simple."

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