Asia. May 1940

The policy of the United States has been to do nothing: the ulterior mtive underlying this policy is an understandable desire on the part of the United States to hold the club of unilateral sanctions over Japan's head in the event of future friction. [...] In feudal times allegiance to the feudal lord welded the vassals and serfs into a unit; for the Mohammedan Islam binds tgether the believers against the infidels; modern nations are arrayed against one another basing their policies on the principle that the rights of the nationals are different from the rights of the alien. [...] The vivacity of the brunette South European is contrasted against the phlegm of the blond North European; the servility of the East European against the independence of the West European. [...] Even in the hundreds of restaurants in Peking the Chinese host must notify the prprietor of his list of guests and the restaurateur supplies the list to the Japanese authorities through the police. [...] A loud speaker has been set up in the chief maidan of the town; and now every evening when the populace gathers in the coffehouses after the evening prayer the loud speaker opens up and the polished voice of the Arabic announcer of the British Broadcasting Corporation brings the latest news of the day.