JAPAN’S WAR AIMS

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 February 1942, Page 5

JAPAN’S WAR AIMS

OUTLINED BY TOJO “CHINESE AS BROTHERS” NEW YORK, February 16. Japan’s war aims were outlined by the Prime Minister (General Tojo) in a speech to.the Diet. According to Tokio radio they are:— (1) Japan is carrying out operations in Burma in order to suppress the Chiang Kai-shek regime at Chungking, but Japan does not regard the Burmese as her enemies and will gladly extend them positive co-operation in the establishment of “Burma for (2) Japan firmly intends to strike a finishing blow at the Chungking regime, but regards the Chinese people as brothers. (3) India now has a golden opportunity to throw off British and American domination. Japan will not stint herself in extending assistance to the Indians’ patriotic efforts. (4) Japan will crush the Dutch forces, but if the Indonesian people co-operate the Japanese will emancipate them from the despotic rule oi the Dutch Government. CHUNGKING OPINIONS. CHUNGKING, February 17. Authoritative Chinese circles interpreted General Tojo’s message to the Diet as the first step in a peace campaign, and ridiculed his reference to “Chinese brothers” participating in the construction of a Greater East Asia. The Chinese Catholic newspaper “Iche Pao” warns that the united nations should be prepared for a dual offensive which the Japanese are expected to launch on both the peace and war fronts, now that Singapore has fallen '“China vzill naturally be the chief object of the peace offensive,” it says, “but the Japanese will also try to stir up all the Asiatic people against Britain and America. On the war front, Burma will be the principal objective of the next