1939-12-11 — Page 8

THE PRODUCE 'OF CAPE PROVINCE SOUTH AFRICA

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THE CHINA MAIL, DECEMBER 11, 1939

MIRROR OF WORLD

OPINION

CONTRABAND

on that! Certainly in a period of neu- trality such as this, the emergency is not sufficient to call for any scrapping of democracy's No. 1 safeguard.~ And we say that believing that Mr. Roose- velt has been not a perfect President but a. great one. "New York World- Telegram."

WANG CHING-WEI Wang Ching-wei's efforts to establish a central puppet government for his Japanese masters are falling dismally. His predecessors in puppetry are re- fusing to share their part of the swag, The Chinese armies also inconsiderate- ly blasted his hopes for inaugurating his new regime by smashing the Jap- anese at Changsha,

An insight into the methods of Wang can be gleaned from the account of the bogus "Kuomintang Congress" he as- sembled in Hongkew under the pro- tective wing of the Japanese, which "adopted important decisions."

There remains to-day only one real question--and that more a question of ethics than of international law. Is it, in fact, justifiable to include in lists of contraband goods all foodstuffs, even though much of this food will obviously go to the fighting forces? In the last war we were forced to take this step by the German decision to wage unrestricted submarine warfare. Germany tried to starve us out and failed; we tried to starve Germany out and, in a sense,' succeeded. In the present war both sides are following the same policy. There can be no question that the inclusion of food- stuffs in lists of contraband is justified by international law as well as by practice. It is true that it is contrary to the Declaration of London, but the only State to ratify that treaty, the United States, abandoned it when she The question is rather whether it is neces- sary, whether it is wise from a politi- cal point of view. This is not a sim- ple matter. In a recent article in the But the latest Japanese Premier is "Times" Sir William Beveridge point- not to be discouraged. The new gov- ed out that even if we wished to do so ernment for China is now scheduled we could not reduce the German peo- for sometime next month, since with- ple to starvation by our present block- out this, convenient device, the "China ade. Fats are the only important food Incident" cannot be closed. The war for which German is dependent on will be officially terminated by Japan, imports from overseas, but fats are (if we are to belleve the propaganda) also an indispensable element in the and leave the job of cleaning up the making of propellants for guns. If "Communist bandits" to the armies of we permitted the import of fats into the puppet government which will be Germany, would they go to feed the generously officered by Japanese. people or the guns? General Goering Perhaps it is too much to expect of has given his famous

We Japan's political wizards to alter the might possibly release meat and cer- pattern until Chinese armies have eals from the list, though alcohol and ousted them from the land. - "China alycerine can be produced from wheat, To-day." but in any case the German people need not starve for lack of these foods

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The claim that this so-called 'Sixth Kuomintang Congress' rallied 240 dele- gates is a lie from beginning to end.

***

*

*

BRITISH ECONOMY

if Hitler wishes to prevent it. In Britain has large capital resources maintaining all foodstuffs on our list and sound currency, and its external of contraband we are not making war trade, unlike Germany's, will continue on women and children but are giv- in all parts of the world. Britain, like ing the German Government and peo- Germany, has to face costs of produc- ple a choice between peace with plenty ments are far greater than in

tion which for most kinds of arma- the and war without: it is a hard choice World War. Some of the modern types indeed, but it is not we who made it of aeroplane cost ten times as much in the first place.-"Manchester Guar- as was needed to produce a similar dian."

type in 1918. It takes twice as much to equip modern divisions of the Army as to equip the less highly mechanised divisions in the last war. For the co- lossal expenditure now required Britain must be prepared to use its great re- sources till it, too, reaches a maximum of production. So far as factories and man-power are available, there is no estimable limit to the expenditures which Britain will incur.

*

-THE TWO-TERM - TRADITION

The additional reason now advanced in favour of 'a third term is that Mr. Roosevelt is the man the country must have to guide us through the war situation. So long as the war con- tinues that will be the chief argument used in behalf of a third term.

This does not mean that Britain has a bottomless purse. The nation can-

It, in fact, Mr. Roosevelt were re- not-devote an ever-increasing part of

cognised as the

only man equipped to steer us through

the present storma, he would by this time have received a blank check from the country as evi- dence. The con- trary has occurred. There is not the un- questioning depen- dence upon his leadership that is implied by the ar- gument that he, is indispensable to di- rect

foreign' policy..

our

Protection for de- mocracy lies not in making the Pre- sidential office pow- erless and sterile, but in retaining in the hands of the people the power to change the occupant The two-term tradi- tion is an infinitely greater protection to democracy than any legislative ham- stringing of the Executive ever can be In this period, when democracy

FEDERATION OF THE

WORLD

For I dipt Into the future, far as

human eye could see,

Saw the Vision of the world, and all the wonder that would be; Saw the heavens fill with com-

meros, argosios of magic smile, Pilots of the purple- twilight, dropping down with costly Hales;

'Heard' the heavens -fill with shouting, and there' rain'd a ghastly dew

From the nations' airy navies grappling in the central blue; Far along the world-wide whis- per of the southwind rushing warm,

With the standards of the peoples plunging thro' the thunder- storm;

Till the war-drum throbb'd no longer, and the battle-flags **were furl'd

In the Parliament of man, the

Federation 'af, the world.. -Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892)

In "Lockulay Hall,”

its energy and its money to war pro- duction without decreasing the pro- portion devoted to other purposes. That is to say, the nation must pay for the war. It must sacrifice other. things to feed the Its war monster. citizens must spend less on their daily living in order that the machine may consume Parliament and people recognised this when Sir John Simon, Chancellor of the Exchequer, went to the House of Commons with taxation demands the like of which had never before been contemplated.

more.

By accepting this sacrifice, the Bri- fish agreed to re- duce the burden of debt on posterity, and in so doing-to avold the risk of present Inflation and mounting prices. It was a bold has to watch its step, it seems more thing to do to put so heavy a burden essential than ever before to preserve on an already burdened people. But in Intact this protective tradition.

modern warfare the sacrifice must be Only in the midst of our participa universal. This fact as well as increas tion in a critical war could there be ed cost is sure to engender popular any substantial case for abandoning support for peace-whenever a round the two-term tradition, and we should and Just peace oan be

Chris I want to hear a good deal of argument tian Science Monitor.”

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