In a sense it is pathetic to observe the assurance with which announcements from Tokyo record the departure of special missions to explain Japan's case or "position" to-the world. Distinguished Japanese appear dismally to lack appreciation of the difficulty of the task for the operations of their forces in China have so monopolized that expository function that they are likely to be disappointed. For instance one of the latest evangelists, Vice-Admiral Godoh, naively bases his appeal on a desire that China should reconsider her anti-Japanese attitude and abjure Communist affiliations. He will be extraordinarily eloquent or fortunate if he can impress that notion on foreign nations which still preserve the faculty of thinking for themselves, Unfortunately Japanese who have the advantage of foreign contacts by reason of residence abroad cannot at this time summon enough courage to correct that view, They seem to reiterate the same cliches es are disseminated in Japan in the rarefied atmosphere of a muzzled and doped public opinion. Recent assertions that the Japanese army and navy are not fighting the Chinese people but are set on destroying the Chinese Government, which they consider to be lacking in human perfection, and on eradicating Communism, are not such as would receive a moment's consideration by a world capable of forming its own conclusions on the struggle now proceeding. It will be recognized that certain prominent figures in the West have shown a tendency to support crusades in favour of special doctrines but even they have not yet gone to the length of suggesting that a national mobilization should be attempted in that regard. The general scheme of representing China as a naughty child who has failed to appreciate the affectionate embraces of a well-intentioned neigh-hour might have some prospect of success were it not for the'awkward fact that the setting up of demilitarized zones and turning them into puppet smuggling enclaves to the detriment of their lawful allegiance does not strike the dispassionate observer as glowingly affectionate, particularly when it is reinforced by large-scale operations launched with the flamboyant intention of "beating China to her knees." Naughty children deserve chastisement but the definition of naughtiness has to be scrutinized before the bona fides of the chastiser can be safely determined.
That Caption Again
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.