NEW DEVELOPMENT IN WASHINGTON TALKS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 279, 25 November 1941, Page 8

NEW DEVELOPMENT IN WASHINGTON TALKS

JAPANESE ACTION

Urgent Message Sent To Tokyo Envoy

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Rec. 2 p.m. XFAV YORK. Nov. 2 1

An official spokesman told the correspondent of the Associated Press ot America that the Chungking Chinese Government expects the talks between Japan and America tv fail, but does not believe war will follow immediately. He added that Uie A.B.C.D. Powers 'America, Britain, China and Dutch) are in perfect accord. China has been constantly informed of the conversations.

The Japanese Domei news agency says the Japanese Foreign Office sent new communications to Mr. Kurusu the special envoy in the Washington talks and that a new development is expected very shortly. The Domei news agency warned that optimism was not warranted, but the Foreign Office regarded the message as urgent.

The conversations oetween Japan and America have reached a critical phase, said the Washington correspondent of the New York Times, in a message received earlier to-day. Both sides have indicated their willingness to reacn a truce in the long-range economic and strategic war, and both sides have made suggestions about the terms on which they are prepared to reach a limited agreement.

Because of the delicacy of the situation, the correspondent adds, it is impossible to discuss the terms, but it can be said that both sides are confident that, so long as the balance of power remains about the same as it is in Europe, there will be no spread of the war to the Pacific.

The United Press correspondent in Washington says the special Japanese envoy, Mr. Kurusu, and the Japanese Ambassador, Admiral Nomura, held a long conference in the early hours with their aides at the Japanese Embassy, following Saturday night's meeting with the Secretary of State, Mr. Cordell Hull. Later they dispatched a lengthy coded cablegram to Tokyo. Talk of American Mediation A message from Hongkong says an unconfirmed report is in circulation there to the effect that President Roosevelt has decided to send Mr. Lauchlin H. Currie to Chungking as a special envoy again. He will discuss American mediation in the Chinese-Japanese war and present peace proposals to Marshal Chiang Kai-shek. The Asahi to-day complains that United States officials conducting the negotiations with Japan have also been in conference with representatives of the A.B.C.D. Powers. "This attitude," it says, "casts gloom and suspicion on the future of the talks." The influential Bangkok newspaper, Suvar Nabhuz, predicts that the Thai Government will shortly submit a bill mobilising the nation's resources on a war footing.

The Navy Department at Washington announced that it was withdrawing a number of gunboats from the Yangtse River.

The correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain at Shanghai says it is authoritatively stated that the United States Navy's Yangtse patrol vessels, as well as marines, will probably be withdrawn and taken to Manila.

The correspondent of the Associated Press at Tokyo quoted the Domei hews agency as saying that Japanese military authorities at Saigon arrested 90 Chinese on charges of being agents of Chiang Kai-shek.