In the Washington Post article that ran on this page Aug. 22, "Much to-do about a shrine," conservative U.S. commentator George Will suggests that Shinzo Abe, the front-runner in the Liberal Democratic Party's presidential race, stop visiting Yasukuni Shrine, the memorial for Japan's war dead, if he is elected prime minister. The reason given for this is that Japan should repair its strained relations with China.

Will says nothing about how this issue would relate to America's global strategy. As a historian, he writes in a style that is generally neutral as well as contemplative. The article as a whole has no critical overtones with regard to Japan.

For example, Will views Japan's attitude toward China -- Japan won't listen as long as China meddles in this country's internal affairs -- in terms of Adm. Nelson's so-called Fire Poker Principle. Nelson, speaking with some of his officials the night before the naval battle at Trafalgar, was quoted as saying with a poker in hand: "It doesn't matter where I put this -- unless Bonaparte says I must put it there. In that case, I must put it someplace else."