LISTENING POST

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 114, 9 February 1944, Page 5

LISTENING POST

Japanese Efforts In Istanbul CHILLY RECEPTION BY RUSSIA (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.— Copyright.) (Received February 8, 9.30 p.m.) LONDON, February 7. The Japanese, frozen out of Lisbon iby Portugal’s unfriendliness following the seizure of Timor, are now attempting to build up their Istanbul Embassy as a centre for a western espionage system, savs the Istanbul correspondent of the “Daily Express.” The Japanese have been building up the Embassy and packing it with diplomats, secretaries and attaches, who are all good listeners and good mouthpieces. Nearly all Japanese missions stay at Istanbul on their way eastward and westward for rest, entertainment and talks with the German Ambassador to Turkey, Herr vou Papen. Perhaps the most brilliant ageut is Dr, Kuni, supposed to be the world’s greatest exponent of classical Japanese dancing, whose profession takes him round the European capitals. The Japanese, who spend as readily to obtain information of Germany's weakness as those of the Allies, have evolved a scheme called the “Russian-Japanese Asiatic bloc,” and have strenuously wooed the Russians. Their reception, however, has been very chilly. A personal secretary named Ito complained recently: “We get transit visas across Russia for our diplomats only by bartering them for the return of shipwrecked sailors. Even then, all the Japanese are accompanied throughout the journey by armed guards and are more like prisoners than diplomats.” The Japanese face the steady elimination from Istanbul of all their agents who are not entitled to diplomatic protection by the Turkish'police.