R. S. V. P. Unanswered

Germany, Italy and Japan . . . further undertake to assist one another with all political, economic and military means if one of the three Contracting Powers is attacked by a Power at present not involved in the European War or in the Chinese-Japanese conflict. These words (part of Article 3 of the Three-Power Pact signed in Berlin just over a year ago) last week had Japan worried.

Hitler's open invitations for his Axis partner to get busy were all too plain:

> Hooting Franklin Roosevelt's charge that German naval forces attacked U.S. naval units, Hitler used language that smacked strongly of Article 3 (see p. 24).

> The German Admiralty spokesman, Admiral Ltitzow, broadcast an inviting picture of Australia's vulnerability: "Should Britain be defeated ... as certainly she will . . . then Australia will be incorporated into the New Order for the Pacific. . . . The vast coasts of Australia are flat so that surprise landings can be undertaken at any point. . . . The help which Great Britain could offer Australia is indeed questionable. British naval forces scattered all over the world could not concentrate their strength in the Pacific."*

At week's end the invitations remained unanswered. Tokyo spokesmen coyly explained that Adolf Hitler's statement, because of its "important nature," required further study; comment on "such matters as Japan's obligations under the Tripartite Pact" would be premature. Onetime Foreign Minister Yosuke Matsuoka's foresighted interpretation (last December) of the Axis agreement was recalled: if any of these three powers is attacked by an outside power, the three signatories must confer and decide whether the case comes under Article 3. Tokyo brass hats knew that any move south, despite Admiral Luetzow's pleasing picture, would have to reckon with heavily garrisoned Singapore and, most probably, the U.S. Fleet.

Treaty obligations shelved for the moment, verbal sword-rattling continued apace in the Japanese press. The official Domei news agency predicted that the Diet's extraordinary session on Nov. 15 would find Premier Hideki Tojo detailing a time limit for U.S.-Japanese discussions. Said the conservative Asahi: "Japan, making a great sacrifice to establish the New East Asia, must take even stronger resolutions to go straight ahead in this and other national policies, to the disregard of American obstructions." Yomiuri made much of the Reuben James sinking, doubted U.S. ability to police both oceans, termed the Atlantic Fleet "a question of old-age warships."

* Sniffed Australia's Minister for External Affairs, Herbert Vere Evatt: "The invitation to Japan to invade us is nothing short of an invitation to Japan to commit national suicide."

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