On the other side, however, are such men -as General Kunishige Tanaka, President of the Meirinkai association for retired generals. In ihe January issue of the "Meirin," association journal, he declared:
"The conclusion of an agreement with the Soviets will seal the fate of the Chiang Kai-shek regime......
"An American embargo, which is the worst that can be feared from the United States on the other side, cannot bring Japan to her knees. Japan therefore should turn her attention to the Soviets, who are in a position to end her worries by cutting off supplies to General Chiang."
Among the leading daily newspapers, the "Yomiuri" and "Kokumin" now are most outspoken in their advocacy of either a definite pro-American or else a definite pro-Soviet tendency. The "Nichi-Nichi" and "Hochi" respectively advocate the two opposite policies. The "Asahi" maintains prudent non-com-mitral silence, A similar line-up prevailed last year during the Germany-or-Britain controversy. The—anti-Comintern camp of that day now paradoxically enough are sponsoring the Soviet cause, "Golden Mean" Policy The Abe Cabinet's views on the problem seem to be best represented by the "golden mean" policy of the influential "Asahi." It follows the' diplomatic course of appeasement both in Soviet Russia and the United States while it concentrates on settlement of the China Incident.
This policy of "smiles to the four points of the compass" naturally comes in for heavy criticism from the extremists on both sides.
M Well-informed political quartere see. in it an attempt to play for time, waiting for the day that either the U.S. or Russia, or both, become cin-broiled in the European war and assume a more willing attitude toward recognition of Japan's claims for a "New Order in Asia."—Havas.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.