Mr. Roy Howard, head of the Scripps-Howard chain of newspapers, and a publicist who has a penchant for travelling extensively. and finding out facts for himself, has advanced a suggestion in connection with American Japanese tension which is worthy "of consideration in the United States. He advances the proposition that a committee of Americans, with some understanding of, and respect for Oriental psychology, should survey and report to Congress and the Pre~ sident on the broad fundamental aspects of the entire Far Eastern situation. His argu~ ment in favour of such a proposal is that such a commission would give an opportunity for the dissipation of heat and the substitu tion of reason and argument in the place of threats and reprisals. Should Japan find the appointment of such a commission an agreeable development, Mr. Howard continues to argue, mounting American-Japanese tension in the Far East might be eased temporarily. The move, he further contended, would be a step towards the restoration of world sanity, while he also advanced the opinion that the present antagonism between America and Japan could be dispelled with comparative Whether he is correct in this last may be! open to considerable doubt, for there is a very large number of questions outstanding between the two countries, failure to deal with which has contributed greatly to the Present unfortunate situation, while on the other hand the declared ambitions of Japan, and the American determination to protect United States' interests in this part of the world are so much at variance that it is dificult to sce how a reconciliation between them could be effected without one or other of the two nations receding from their present positions, That is the outstanding feature of the situation, and one which has to be recognized as the dominating factor, the one chiefly responsible for much of what has led up to the existing state of affairs.
No one in his senses, would desire to sce' the European conflict extended to this part of the world if it can possibly be avoided, Mr. Howard undoubtedly desires that a delibera~ tive body should be appointed to ascertain. whether things have gone so far that they cannot now be remedied, and the suggestion he puts forward indicates that in his mind the is not yet convinced that that is the case. There are many others of his way of think~ ing, men who believe that, even at this Late hour, it may be possible to reconcile the differences between the two countries. Some such step as that which Mr. Howard suggests offers the possibility of discovering whether or not this view is correct. That can never be found out unless something is done to diminish the present increasing rapid progress towards war and a time given for quieter' reflection than is possible at present.
A great deal of the success of the scheme would depend upon the attitude which the Japanese Government adopted towards it. It is not suggested that there should be a Joint commission consisting of representatives. of both countries, but that an American com~ mission should make a unilateral investiga~ tion. Probably if the moderates were in power in Japan there might be a tendency to await the deliberations of a commission if it were appointed, but the danger is that the military extremists would prefer to force the pace as they have been doing since the formation of the Konoye Government. That reason why Mr. Howard's scheme should not be tried out. If it had no other effect than of showing to the world the United States' reasonableness in the matter, that in itself would be, of distinct advantage, while, of course, pending the issuance of the commission's report Washington would still be as free as ever to reach its own decision'.
In fine there is everything to be said in' favour of adopting the suggestion, and nothing to be said against it, for it can certainly: do no harm, and might, no matter how doubtful it appears at the moment, be produc-of good. No effort should be spared to ensure that the madness of war shall not be allowed to spread to the Far East.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.