Henderson Daily Dispatch

What Can We Do?
All this talk in Washington about the United States intervening to stop Japan's march southward, especially in French Indo-China, gives rise to the wonder as to what we can do about it. The Japs are comparatively close at home; Uncle Sam is 5,000 miles or more distant. which is quite a long range in which to operate, wherever our sympathies may lie and however much we may object to the mikado's activities.
Indo-China, the Dutch East Indies and the South Sea islands may all have commodities greatly desired and essential in our preparedness plans. But these areas of the globe do not belong to the United States. Moreover, we haven't as yet the power to enforce our will by the waving of a wand, sounding of a warning or nodding a head in the negative. More's the pity. It would be marvelous if we did have such things. Some day we shall have, but it might then be too late. Yet it is difficult to see just what we can do about it now.
Had this nation been conscious these past seven years of the vast power Hitler was creating in Germany, and had we been busy ourselves in building up the proper sort of national defense, we could long ago have halted the unholy ambitions of Japan in overrunning a more or less helpless China. But the sad fact is we didn't do either, with the result that we must bide our time against the day when we can speak with a voice loud enough to be heard and offer a show of strength that will command respect wherever it may be sent"as a threat in the name of righteousness and international justice.
Japan long has awaited this hour —an hour when Britain was so occupied at home as to be helpless on the opposite side of the globe, and when the United States is faced with a menace from Europe and fears to become too seriously involved in the Far East. And. the moment having come. Japan is moving southward. The question is, who is there to raise a hand in effective opposition?
Japan knows full well the real import of the preparedness program under way here. She knows that two, three or five years hence she will be unable to defy Uncle Sam even in her own quarter of the globe. That is the explanation of her frantic moves, her arrogant threats and her preparation for moving in on helpless peoples.