JAPAN LOYAL TO AXIS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 1, 2 January 1941, Page 9

JAPAN LOYAL TO AXIS

LEADERS' MESSAGES

GREATER EAST ASIA BLOC

TOKIO, December 31.

The Prime Minister, Prince. Konoye, andi members of the Government, in New Year statements issued through the Dome! news agency, reiterated Japan's loyalty to the Axis and her determination to proceed vigorously with the "greater East Asia" programme. Some of the statements, while not referring directly to President Roosevelt's speech, drew attention to the United States' economic pressure, and urged the people to unite in preparation to withstand greater American pressure. . . The statements generally emphasised first, that Japan is committed to the creation of a greater East Asia bloc of prosperity composed of China, Japan, and Manchukuo, to which the United States and Britain are opposed; secondly, that Japan, as. a "have not" nation, supports the Italian-German programme for a new world order: and, thirdly, that Japan's great need is her internal unity. RUSSIA NOT MENTIONED. References to Russia were notably missing, indicating that the Govern- j ment has not yet abandoned hope of an agreement. Prince konoye said that Japan was firmly determined to break the British and - American conception of. maintenance of the status quo in ... eastern Asia. "It. must be realised that the road towards our final goal is hard, and that international relations will be further strained in 1941," ■ he .'said. "Everlasting peace and prosperity can; be attained only by forcing large-scale changes. Italy and Germany have un-. dertaken the reorganisation of Europe and; Japan the reorganisation of eastern Asia."