WORLD SITUATION “DISQUIETING”

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27832, 3 December 1955, Page 2

WORLD SITUATION “DISQUIETING”

Mr Shigemitsu On Japan’s Policies

fres» Associatiofi—CopyngM) (Rec. 11 p.m.) TOKYO, December 2. The Japanese Foreign Minister (Mr Mamoru Shigemitsu) said today that the Soviet union’s “aggressive strategy” gave the Free World every reason to be ill at ease. In a policy statement to the Japanese/Diet, Mr Shigemitsu said that the world situation was “disquieting.” He said that the Big Four MmiSterß* conference “appears to have accomplished nothing but to show more clearly than ever the fundamental differences between the two camps and the impossibility, at least in the near future, of a settlement. “Although Europe is unlikely to see any violent repercussions, thanks to the balance of power obtaining in the Continent, the situation elsewhere is disquieting.” .Mr Shigemitsu said: “In the Middle East and Near East, Britain and America are counting on the Baghdad conference to consolidate their antiSommunist front, while the Soviet nion is not only working its way into Egypt and other Arab countries, but also trying to reach Out for the Middle and Near East and for Asia.

“In the face of the Russians’ aggressive strategy, coupled with reports of recent test explosions of atom and hydrogen bombs, the Free World has every reason to be ill at ease.

He said that the third Hatoyama Cabinet would “pursue a policy of peace, keyed to the basic principles of co-operation with other free and democratic nations.”

“Let me say that Japan has maintained and will continue to maintain close contact with the United States and will co-operate on all problems of mutual concern,” he said. “So far, no progress has been made toward a satisfactory solution” in Japanese-Russian peace talks on Japan’s demand for the return of territories.

When the talks resumed, the Government intended “to achieve the desired ends by insisting on what is right and just.”