NEAR AGREEMENT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 283, 11 September 1941, Page 5

NEAR AGREEMENT

JAPAN AND UNITED STATES.

ANNOUNCEMENT EXPECTED. THE BASTS OF NEGOTIATIONS. (United Press Association—Copyright.) NEW YORK, September 10. The United States and Japan are reported to be nearing agreement on their Pacific problems, declares the “New York Herald-Tribune.” The Japanese Primo Minister (Prince Konoye), it is believed, is likely to announce to-morrow that negotiations are progressing/ and he will proclaim an independent policy for Japan in future. The basis of the negotiations has boon—(1) Japan' to quit the Axis. (2) Japan to .renounce further aggression in the South' Pacific and Siberia. (3) Japan to remove her forces from Central China. (4) Japan to withdraw from IndoChina and confine her activities in the Southern Pacific to trading. The United States in return would release frozen Japanese assets and bring trade back to normal. Many points remain to be ironed out, but the parties are believed to be reaching general agreement.

A message from Shanghai says diplomats there heard that the negotiations between Japan and America are expected to conclude this week with a preliminary agreement aimed at a complete rapprochement, subject to possible pro-Axis opposition from the Japanese Army.

The diplomats anticipated that the announcements in "Washington and Tokio of ah. agreement would take a most conservative view of the difficult nature of the problems. However, the effect would bo a. long-term Japanese withdrawal from the Axis permitting the United Statcsto withdraw units of its fleet to the Atlantic and opening Vladivostok to a flow of United States supplies to Russia.

Foreign Minister’s Report. • The United States and Britain would 1 be able to concentrate on sending war material to the Middle East, the Near East, and Russia. It is indicated that the Japanese are already discussing a possible similar rapprochement between Japan and Britain. A Tokio message says that the Japanese Foreign Minister (Admiral Toyoda) reported to the Cabinet and the Privy Council on recent diplomatic developments, including 12 conferences with the American Ambassador (Mr Joseph C. Grew). It is, believed that Japan would withdraw her objections to American oil going to Vladivostok if the United States resumed oil shipments to Japan. . Tli-e Shanghai correspondent of the United Press of America says informed ciir - fs beljeve that the Prime Minister of Japan (Prince Konoye) is doing his utmost to resist the Japanese Army’s pro-Axis pressure. Therefore the opinion is expressed that any public announcement which Prince Konoye might make will he vague, hut might suggest! some progress toward a better understanding with America. Other sources pointed to the decision of Britain and Japan to evacuate nationals as indicating doubt "that an agreement is near. Evacuation of Nationals. The Japanese Foreign Office an-, nonneed that; Japan will send ships to Britain and other parts of the British Empire to evacuate Japanese nationals. Three ships will be dispatched to the Straits Settlements, India, the Near East, and East Africa. A fourth ship, carrying Japanese diplomats and military and naval attaches to replace those at present in Europe, will bring evacuees from Europe. There are 600 Japanese in the British Isles/ 700 in Malaya, 200 in India, 60 in the Near i East and 40 in East Africa.

The British Embassy in Tokio announced that the China Navigation Company’s steamer Anhui (3494 tons; will arrive in Yokohama on September 24 to evacuate British subjects. •A well-known Japanese political commentator, Mr Yoshitaro «liimiza, writing in the newspaper “Hochi,’' said in connection with the negotiations for a Japaneso-American rapprochement: “If Japan allows herself to be played into the hands of the United States, then the American dollar will dominate East Asia and an irretrievable fate will overtake Japan. Let us not lose the aims of our crusade. Lot thousands of lives be sacrificed on the altar. This crusade will he worthy of their death. This is the outcry of the entire nation.” Crews For Armed Freighters. According to the Shanghai correspondent of the British United Press, Germany is recruiting several hundred Chinese seamen to serve aboard heavily armed German freighters which will sail from Japanese harbours in North China under the Japanese Ung. Authorities in Shanghai think the vessels might be used as raiders against shipments to Vladivostok. Britain would take a serious view ol any further southern expansion by Japan, said Mr A. Duff Cooper, who is on a special mission to the Far East, on his arrival in Singapore. He was unable to say what action Britain might take, but Japanese provocation would meet strong British reaction. I here had been a slowing down in the bar Eastern tempo, but no lowering of the temperature. Mr Duff Cooper added that the purpose of his visit was to report to the British Cabinet on the desirability of appointing a representative in the Far East similar to Captain Oliver Lyttelton’s appointment m Cairo. Before returning to Britain in six months, Mr Duff Cooper will visit Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands East Indies, Burma, and possibly China. Mr Kenkiehi Yoshizawa, a former Foreign Minister, has been appointed

Ambassador plenipotentiary to French Tndo-China ns a result of “increasingly friendly relations following the conclusion' of the joint defence pact. Ho will be empowered to conduct diplomatic negotiations with the GovernorGeneral and will also head various. Japanese organisations in Indo-Cmna,. The defences of Malaya have been strengthened by the extension of the, defence zone of 200 miles' north of Singapore. A special, order puts 120 . miles of coastline under military control, and steps, have been taken to control the mouths of rivers running into the China Sea, from Central Malaya, as it is thought that this would be the most likely line, for sea attack. .. ~

Sir Andrew Duncan (president of the Board of Trade) said in the House of Commons that no licences had been granted for exports to Japan since the day of the freezing order, July 2f>, and. lie saw no prospect of any such licences being granted in'the near future. No materials which so. far as is known could be used for munitions of war had been exported by the United Kingdom to Japan during the last three months.