OPINIONS DIFFER.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 88, 15 April 1941, Page 7

OPINIONS DIFFER.

PACT'S PORTENTS.

Chinese Paper Says Pacific War

Is Inevitable.

United Pros* Association—Ccpyricbt.

i Keod. 3 1a in.)

LONDON", April 14

The influential Chinese newspaper "Takung Pao" declared to-day that war iu the Pacific now is inevitable and headlined the news of the par: : "Soviet Appeasement of Japan™ Th>-

newspaper pointed out that Singapore. Sir A. Cleark Kerr British Ambassador to China) and British

military and naval officials ■would have to weigh carefnllv the acoonl

implications.

A -our. e close to h:ph Chinese military authorities expressed confidence that any new Japanese drive in China resulting from the treaty could 1«" handle.! successfully l>y the Chinese, and added that the pact must be rc garded merely as an incident in the fotir-vear China stru^cle.

Obwrvrn at osprMW'! keen interest in the reaction of tT>Chinese Communists, who ha\e alwa_\ > •n>iste<i that a .tapanot-e-Soviet apTcrmcnt was impossible. Some sonmsaid that if "he Communists continued to follow Moscow their position in China Mould deteriorate seriously.

Competent .■"miiK'iii.itor!- in Ijondoii says a Hritish Official Wirek'ss message, draw distinctions lx'lnfn the par signed lecently between tin* Soviet an . Yugoslavia, and that between the Soviet and Japan. the conclusion oi which waannounoed to-day. Whereas in the csu-c of Yugoslavia 1 lie p.i<: piovides that i! one party is attacked bv a third Povv<: the other would maintain a policy ol

friendship, the pad with Japan mere') stipulates f.'t neulral : ly in such an event.

It is noted, however. Iliat -Japan liaunderlined in this pact the clause vvbie.i was added the Tripartite Pact fo: her benefit, specifically exempting ho: from any obligation to undertake hostilities against the So". iel. Although future events may give importance t" this pact. in the existing on cu instanceit makes but little difference. The Soviet seems t<> be the most favoured party, and commentators Mini up tinsituation by remarking that Mr. Mat mi oka seems to have had lo wait a long lime for verv little.

Accentuate "Positive Policy." In Chinese and American circles in Shanghai it i* feared the pact will accentuate the former's "positive policv " and increase the likelihood ol a collision with the Western Powers, os]«coiallv the United States.

The American ow ued newspaper "Pom Mercury ' save Japan "lias nnt purchased real security thriush tho part, Mje has bought false security, in rcalitv worse than none at all."' 1 'he paper says Japan will never be sure Itussia will not move against Manchuria soon as Japan i» too exhausted to fight.

The Japanese Army oigan "Tairiku •Shimpao"' terms the pact a Soviet diplomatic victory Iliat v. ill enable Kussia eventually to move toward India. "The Soviet realises." it says, "that in order to obtain a oomple'.c economic bloc it must have ao. c-s t<i the tropics."

The "Yomitiri Smmbtin" asj-ens Ili.ii the |•act would be a "grcaT -ho ( -l; 1,, i],<world when tin- United State.s - out ry im.. tlie Ktiropean War U- imminent, and a poignant Mow to Chungking."'

NAVAL STRENGTH.

JAPANESE EXPANSION.

TOKYO. April It

I lie Mini-ter of the Xavv. Admiral Oikawa. addressing a conference ol governors, said: "1 am convinced thai the Japanese Navy will never betrav tlie people's expectations, irrespective <•;' what situation might l*o created afte* this."

Because of the ''frantic" arms cxpan -ion and war preparations *ince la-1 year on the part of world Powers, said Admiral Oikawa. it was only natural that Japan imi«t prepare countoi - measures. In this connection tinJapanese Navy needed further expan -ion of personnel and equipment.

The Japanese Army i< to establish a mechanised anal nunourcd force with headquarter* at the War Ministry. Tlxnew foroe can be regarded as part of a vast modernisation programme for tlx* •lapanese Army. ] h<* new hca Jaji:a--t a-i - will direct anal -itpervi-e all ti'a-f-liani-ea! prn-.oured and cavahy unit- The arm\ does not plan to nlaoli-h tlv i;««. ~t horses.