RUSSIA & NAZIS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXV, Issue 151, 28 June 1943, Page 5

RUSSIA & NAZIS

EFFORT BY JAPANESE

PEACE TALKS WANTED (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.) Rec. 11 a.m. LONDON, June 27. For the past six months the Japanese Ambassador to Russia, Naotake Sato, has been attempting to induce Russia and Germany to talk peace, says the British United Press correspondent at Stockholm. The Japanese fear that the defeat of the Axis is impending, after which Japan's position will be hopeless is believed to be the reason |for Sato's activities. ! Japan is also believed to fear that Russia will eventually allow the Allies to use bases in Siberia for raids against the Japanese mainland. - Stalin's announcement of adherence to the Casablanca policy answered Sato's early efforts. The new approach is reported to be based on the argument that Russia and Germany will not benefit from a fight to a finish on the Eastern Front for the benefit of the Western democracies. Meanwhile Soviet publicists continue to play up the theme that Germany can be defeated only by a heavy blow from East and West. The trade union organ "Trud" says: "The overwhelming majority of British and American newspapers agree that it is necessary to fight the idea that the war can be won by the air force alone. The Anglo-American Press almost unanimously says it is necessary to take advantage of the favourable situation and not miss the opportunity of inflicting a decisive and crushing blow on the Fascists." Moscow radio's leading political commentator, Viktorov, declared: "The world is tensely expectant. Conditions have become extraordinarily favourable for our allies as regards military operations on the Continent. The Luftwaffe is helpless and cannot interfere with Allied raiders. "The so-called Atlantic Wall does not exist. U-boat warfare has taken a decisive turn in favour of the Allies. All the strategic approaches to Italy are in the hands of the Allies, who have undenied mastery of the Mediterranean." ■