Time chronicled Japan’s invasion of Manchuria in the early 1930s as a dispute between two tyrannies—Japanese imperialists against Chinese warlords. It referred to Chiang Kai-shek as “Dictator Chiang” and interpreted his kidnapping in Xi’an as proof of China’s disarray. “Chaos and disorder are ‘normalcy’ to China,” read one article. (Even as late as June 26, 1939, Time was still referring to the war in China as inconsequential, “a matter of yellow man killing yellow man.”)
