JAP. DENIAL

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20487, 22 February 1941, Page 5

JAP. DENIAL

SPECIFIC OFFER MEDIATION AGENT ANYWHERE IN WORLD TERM JUST GENERAL MESSAGE TO MR. EDEN MR. MATSUOKA EXPLAINS (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) / ; "• (Reed. Feb. 22, 9 a.m.) TOKIO, Feb. 21. The Tokio paper Asahi Shimbun, referring to the message sent by the Japanese Foreign Minister, Mr. Yo'suki Matsuoka, to the British Foreign Secretary, Mr. Anthony Eden, said it •‘clarified Japan's peaceful intentions.”

The Asahi Shimbun said that Mr. Matsuoka expected to seize an opportunity shortly-in the Diet session in order to /relate the circumstances under which he dispatched the note to Mr. Eden and also to acquaint the Japanese people “with Japan’s readiness and purpose to act.” The Domei agency states that Mr. Matsuoka in an interview with the Japanese press late last night said: “As, the Foreign Minister of the Japanese Government I have never offered mediation to any nation in the world for the restoration of world peace.” “Counter Measures” The Domei agency states that Mr. Matsuoka explained that he had sent a memorandum to Mr. Eden “refuting British claims that Japan sought to dominate the Far East.” He emphasised that as Japan was mediating m the Indo-China dispute, she was willing to mediate anywhere else in the world. This was merely a general statement of a peaceful desire and quite different from a specific offer to mediate in Europe.

The Asahi Shimbun said that Mr. Matsuoka, while informing Britain of Japan’s willingness to mediate in any conflict, emphasised that if Britain adjusted military preparedness and engaged in various operations on the supposition that an urgent situation was inevitable in the Pacific and South Seas “Japan would naturally be compelled to take counter measures and therefore desired a “prudent attitude on Britain’s part.”

Answering a question in the House of ' Commons on Wednesday, the Foreign Secretary, Mr. Anthony Eden, said that increased tension in the Far East had' arisen over certain events, notably over the dispute between Indo-China and Thailand. The Japanese official spokesman made a statement to the press on the previous day Which Mr. Eden said he had no doubt had come to the attention of members.

■ The Foreign Secretary said he had i received from the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs a special message in a curious memorandum and on the sahae general lines as the statement referred to. The terms of these communications were receiving consideration.

A message dispatched from Tokio on .Tuesday stated that the Japanese Cabinet Information Bureau spokesman, Mr. Ishii, said the previous day: “Japan is prepared to mediate anywhere throughout the world in order to help restore normal conditions. He added that the mediation proposals w&re prompted by “alarming reports from various sections, of the world regarding possibilities in the near future.