"BREAK THROUGH"

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 280, 26 November 1941, Page 8

"BREAK THROUGH"

JAPAN'S ATTITUDE Conversations Continued In Washington Rec. 2 p.m. WASHINGTON, Nov. 25. The Japanese Prime Minister, General Tojo, in a speech to the Imperial Rule Assistance Association, said the 100,000,000 Japanese must become solid and firm and must march ahead in order to break through the unprecedented crisis, says a Tokyo message. Lieutenant-General Ando declared in Tokyo that the nation absolutely supported General Tojo's three principles of foreign policy and was watching keenly developments in the Pacific situation, which was on the brink of an explosion. The nation was ready to march at the word of command. "British and American bullets passing through Chungking are killing us," he said. "The United States is on the brink of war with Japan since it is difficult to see how any just settlement of the Far East situation can be reached," declared Admiral Yarneli, speaking at Boston. "The imperialistic aims of Japan are intended to reduce China and the rest of the Far East to the position of vassals in a great self-contained empire." The United Press correspondent at Manila says that 500 airmen who resigned from the United States Army and Navy have arrived "somewhere in the Far East" to fight for China against Ja£>an. The Secretary of State, Mr. Cordell Hull, conferred for two .hours with the envoys of the A.B.C.D. Pbwers (United States, Britain, China and the Netherlands), as the JapaneseAmerican talks entered a phase of uncertainty. Mr. Hull has not met the Japanese representatives since Saturday and there is no indication when the conversations will be resumed.

In contrast to their cheerful appearance on Saturday, the A.B.C.D. delegates last night emerged from the conference grim and silent. The British Ambassador, Viscount Halifax, said he. had nothing to add to what he said on Saturday, but, replying to a question, he said he stood by the statement that he made on Saturday, that he was always an optimist. A State Department announcement said: "This was a continuation of the discussions previously held. One or more further meetings are contemplated." 1 Earlier in the day, Mr. Hull told I journalists that the Japanese negotiations so far had been confined to! talk rather than to the definite undertaking of any decisions. The New York Times correspon-j dent said that, while optimism had not been abandoned, it was less in j evidence in well-informed circles than on Saturday. It appeared increasingly likely that a limited status quo agreement with Japan was now being sought, rather than a final solving of Far Eastern difficulties. There wai nope, added the correspondent, that Japan would agree to withdraw her troops from Indochina and eschew moves either to the south or tlie north in return for some loosening of the economic curbs which are virtually blockading It