"The Times" Points to Drain On Her Exchequer London, Sept. 4.
"The Times," in a leader on Japan's Y.2,549,000,000 War Budget, to-day describes as "optimistic" Japan's apparent expectation that the collapse of Chinese resistance will ensure an early and decisive victory.
It would be dangerous, the journal adds, to predict that the war will be one of limited objectives and normal duration. Chinese leaders may obtain unexpected national support and the defeat of Chinese armies will not necessarily involve the surrender and collapse of the Central Government, "Japan's objectives," "The Times" continues, "are vague and unspecified, and the duration of the war may con~ found the expectations of the General Staff, "So long as the struggle lasts, Japan's very successes are closing a market which her statesmen and economists describe as her economic life-line."
Even if Japan is victorious, the journal points out, the extraordinary drain on her exchequer will not cease at the end of the war. However limited the territory over which she ight decide to establish influence if arms prevail, the process of establish~ ing such influence will be a costly and difficult operation
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.