The question whether the fighting will continue cannot remain long
unanswered, for if it is not stopped before it has gone much further the opportunity of stopping it before one side or the other has been decisively beaten will have been lost. The British Government has framed a proposal whereby Britain, the United States and France should guarantee to protect the Japanese in the International Settle- ment conditionally on both Chinese and Japanese withdraw- ing all the troops that have in the last few days been added to the forces normally on the spot. The first reactions in Washington and Paris seem favourable. The Settlement police force, with the military reinforcements that are being despatched to Shanghai by the Western Powers could make good this guarantee, but there is little reason to believe that Japan's first concern is the safety of her nationals at Shanghai. Preparations are in full progress in Tokyo for an extensive campaign, one result of which may be to change the whole political structure of Japan itself. Far-reaching plans for the establishment of State control over industry and finance are being evolved, and though the Diet has been summoned for September 3rd, it may be only to vote, or hear sentence of, its own demise. What particular form of totalitarianism will be preferred in Japan is doubtful ; a model will not necessarily be sought at either Rome or Berlin. But that the army chiefs, convinced that they must strike before a China growing steadily stronger has grown too strong, will acquire a complete, if temporary, predominance at Tokyo seems inevitable. Their method may be to exalt the throne and ensure that they are the power behind it.
* * * *
