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W. W. Yen
Harmonie Club - 4

"In fact, foundations in trade and cultural contacts built up after decades of labor and with outlays of hundreds of millions of dollars are being destroyed by this undeclared war on China.

"The $250,000,000 in American investments in China under a Japanized China will be threatened with extinction. By forcing exports and imports in China to be handled through Japanese concerns, our banks, insurance companies, steamship companies, and other servicing organizations now constituting important items in our invisible trade will have to do what our companies in Manchuria did - namely, to get out.

"The losses, direct and indirect, to American interests will aggregate more than the total of our trade with Japan for some years."

Among the arguments which operate to make a considerable number of people hesitate to approve positive action by the United States Government, against Japan, the strongest is perhaps the one which capitalizes upon the fear that Japan, in such case, would feel so highly offended as to declare herself at war with the United States. It does not appear that those who hold this view think that Japan could wage a successful war against the United States, but they do conceive that, whatever its outcome, a war is disastrous to all parties involved in it. 

Of course there are answers that may be made to this fear. In the first place, it may be said that, unless one believes in absolute pacifism, there are evils greater than war, and that, among these greater evils, is the destruction of orderly processes, which govern international relations and the breaking down of established and elementary standards of national and international morality. Also, it is clear that, if war between Japan and the United States should come, it would be a defensive war so far as the United States is concerned, that is, a war by the United States in defence of indubitable rights created by treaties and as established by general international law. Placed upon a still higher basis, it would be a war to defend civilization against one, at least, of the nations who is attacking the very foundations of international order.

Another and a very strong point, made by those who advocate decisive American governmental action, is that, while Japan is so vitally dependent upon American trade for her national economic existence and the supply of essential war materials, so deeply bogged down in her war with China, and so acutely afraid of hostile action in the part of Russia, it is scarcely conceivable that she would, under any circumstances, engage in a suicidal war with the United States. In short, by adopting a sufficiently firm and positive policy, it is reasonably certain that the United States can, without war, obtain a correction of the wrongs by Japan, which have so outraged the moral feelings of the American people and impaired their legitimate commercial and other interests in the Far East. 

One further point needs emphasis and repetition and this is that the Chinese people in defending their own national rights have, in fact, bee also defending the rights and interests of democracies. In the struggle which we have been waging against the Japanese invaders, we have been resisting the advance of forces, which, if unchecked, threaten the continued existence of factors essential to the maintenance of international law and order and even civilization itself. The issues at stake in the Far East are thus world-wide in significance and portentous in their consequence.

The Chinese, as well as other peoples, therefore, look to the United States for leadership. This role America alone can play and play with success, with the means, the power and the opportunity at her disposal. As far as the Far East is concerned, Europe's turmoil accentuates the obligation which lies upon the United States to take the lead in bringing about a just and permanent settlement of the present conflict, - a settlement in consonance with the principles of the Nine Power Treaty. 

I close with a statement which I feel obligated to make whenever I am privileged to speak to an American audience, and this to express my deep appreciation for the friendliness and sympathy which, at all times, the American people have shown for my country, and, in expressing this appreciation, I know, I am voicing the feelings of my people. 

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