JAPAN AND AXIS

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 140, 10 March 1941, Page 8

JAPAN AND AXIS

Foreign Minister’s Trip NAZI INVITATION Visits To Berlin, Rome

And Moscow

(Bv Telegraph.—l’rests Assn. —Copyright.)

(Received March 9, 7 p.m.)

BERLIN, March 8.

The German news agency, D.N.8.,' says that the Japanese Foreign Minister, Mr. Matsuoka, is shortly visiting Berlin at the invitation o£ the German Government, after which he will go to Rome.

A Tokio message says informed circles consider that Mr. Matsuoka will probably leave in the middle of next week for Berlin, Rome and Moscow, for talks bearing on collaboration in the Tripartite Pact. It is reliably reported in Tokio that Mr. Matsuoka was originally scheduled to leave on February 28, but that a final decision was postponed because of growing opposition on the ground that it might be particularly harmful to relations between Japan' and the United States of America at a time when there was some hope that the Ambassador in Washington, Admiral Nomura, would be able to improve relations.

The spokesman of the Cabinet Information Bureau, Mr. Ishii, questioned earlier regarding reports that the Foreign Minister, Mr. Matsuoka, was going to Berlin and Moscow, said: “I have heard such rumours, but I cannot confirm them.”