CHINA INCIDENT

(July 8, 1937—May 15, 1939)

THWARTED in their attempts to seize power inside Japan, the military
extremists committed their country to large-scale war in China,
This war not only rallied the people to the support of the extremists;
it committed the whole country to a military adventure of world-
wide scope. The Japanese militarists had originally hoped that their
occupation of all the main China ports would give them control of the
entire country, but these calculations proved mistaken. Then, the
Nazi-Soviet Pact of August, 1939, which set the stage for Hitler's
attack on Poland, caused almost as much consternation in Japan as
it had in Europe. Even the most fanatical militarists had not expected
the Germans to enter into any kind of deal with the Soviet Union,
for the strongest bond holding Germany and Japan together at this
time was the Anti-Comintern Pact. Thus, the outbreak of war in
Europe did not prove an unmixed blessing to the Japanese military,
It gave them a freer hand to the south, but it created new anxieties
to the east.

THE CHINA INCIDENT BEGINS

July 8, 1937

Fighting has broken out at the Marco Polo bridge not far from
Peiping between Chinese and Japanese troops* Not clear who
started the trouble, but Nelson Johnson says that considering the
fact that the Japanese conduct manoeuvres close to a Chinese garrison
it is only surprising that such an incident had not occurred long ago.

A UNIFIED JAPAN EMBARKS ON WAR

JMy is> 1937

Cabled the Department that in the present crisis there seems to be
complete unanimity of opinion between the cabinet, the military, the
Foreign Office, the press, and the business men to resist any weaken-
ing of Japan's position in North China. . Of course it might readily
be said that when the Prime Minister consulted the various politicians,
financiers, and business leaders and asked them if they were behind
the Government they could hardly have said no, but in the present
situation we sense a greater unanimity than was ever present in the
Manchurian issue.

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