Artistic Question

Just before they let it be known that they wanted to negotiate with the U.S. for two more weeks (see p. 16), the Japanese had been acting particularly tough.

Said Premier General Hideki Tojo: "Britain and the United States desire to fish in troubled waters of East Asia. . . .

For the honor and pride of mankind, we must purge this sort of practice from East Asia with a vengeance."

Said Foreign Minister Shigenori Togo: "The United States ... is trying forcibly to apply to East Asiatic countries fantastic principles and rules not adapted to the actual situation."

Five formations of Japanese planes roared from northern Indo-China to Kun ming on the Burma Road, bombed supply-depots and machine-gunned truck convoys in the first air attack on the Road since last spring.

Japanese troops continued to pour into Indo-China. It was said that a force of at least 100,000 was ready to strike at the Burma Road in either direction: north westward through Yuennan Province, westward through Thailand and Burma.

An attack on Yuennan would immediately run into a formidable barrier of mountains and malaria. It would run into a "Chinese" Air Force of about 200 American P-40 fighters manned by pilots on leave from the U.S. Army Air Forces and about to start service under the Chinese flag. And an attack on Yuennan would run into the determined South China Forces which lack mechanization but greatly outnumber the Japanese.

An attack through Thailand would also run into difficult terrain, both swampy and mountainous. It would run into Thailand's questionable Army and, eventually, into seasoned British and Indian troops. But, if successful, such an attack would have the merit of capturing Thailand's resources of rice and tin, of cutting off the Allies' aid to China at its root.

Perhaps Japan's desire for two weeks more of Washington talk was merely to allow herself a fortnight's more preparation in Indo-China. On the other hand, New York Times Tokyo Correspondent Otto Tolischus last week reminded his readers that Japanese statesmen are not the feverish windbags that the West often pictures them, that "they are hard-headed realists who regard politics as 'the art of the possible.' . . . That is why Japan has often retreated in the face of overwhelming force, but has never lost a war."

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