"Much has already been written concerning the activities of German agents in Japan, but surely nothing quite so revealing as the article by Dr. C. N. Spinks, which has been published in the New York *Herald Tribune' and which appeared in these columns yesterdáy. Dr. Spinks points out that the primary aim of the German fifth conan a its plak la a totalitarian structure based remote a rightist revolution in Japan giving
on the German model and to further an ex-pensionist movement calculated to bring Japan into war with the United States. What has occurred up to the present follows very closely along the lines adopted by the Nazis in Italy and though in the case of Japan control has not yet been so completely established the danger of Japan being as thoroughly honeycombed with Nazi agents is one which cannot now be disregarded, The fact that more than 3,000 Nazis have penetrated into all forms of activity in Japan, even into Government departments, clearly demonstrates how Germany is seeking to undermine the Japanese Government and reduce it to a position analogous with that: of Italy. It is a striking example of Nazi penetration by fraud.
The military extremists, whose policies have permitted of this partial surrender of government in Japan, delude themselves if they fancy for one moment that in the unlikely event of a German victory in this war, their country would play any more glorious róle than that which Italy is now filling. The whole scheme is to permeate the Japanese Government with the dry rot of Naziism. The only ends which the Fifth Column is pursuing in Japan are purely Nazi ends, and the German agents will have completely succeeded if they can manage by hook or crook to embroil Japan with the United States. The tempting bait of expansion is dangled before the eyes of the military extremists, but it is a fact, and a well known one at that, that Hitler is out for world domination in which not even Japan will share as a partner.
The danger in which Japan now stands is no figment of the imagination. It will be increased as the various German agents from other countries, who find it difficult to regain their own land, seek refuge in Japan, and there can be no gainsaying the fact that, should Germany defeat Russia, Prince Konoye will play no larger part in the German scheme than Mussolini is now doing. In view of the attempts which have been, and may still be made to bring about a better understanding between Japan, Great Britain and the United States, it needs to be borne in that there can be no real improvement in the relations between those three countries as long as Japan adheres to the Axis, From every point of view, not excluding that of commerce, Japan's best interests would be served by secession from the Axis and the expulsion of the Nazi fifth column which is undermining the whole constitutional structure of Japan. An enormous market,—and of markets Japan stands in very great need,—could be found by arrangement with Russia, the way to which has been paved by the pact, obtained by Mr, Matsuoka in his recent European trip.
There are other markets closed as a result of the British defeat of the Italians, in Africa which: also could be reopened to Japan, but it is unlikely that this will occur so long as Japan is openly ranged with the Axis in opposition to the democracies. Japan has much to gain by a revision of her foreign policy, and certainly nothing to lose. The economic interests of a Germany successful in this struggle would be in direct conflict with those of Japan. That must always be the case where two highly industrialized nations want access to the principal-supplies of the world's raw materials, and it is because of that fact that it is possible to argue that there is no real community of interests between Japan and Germany but rather a very definite antagonism. It is not too late for Japan to mend her ways. It will be when the German fifth columnists have succeeded in clamping down full control on the Japanese Government. If that comes about the future of the Japanese will indeed be tragic as but another nation subjugated to the ambitions of the Herrenvolk.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.