“DOVE OF PEACE”

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

“DOVE OF PEACE”

CLAIM FOR JAPAN BRITISH—U.S. “SNAKES” EGGS PLACED IN NEST SINGAPORE AND GUAM TREATY ABROGATIONS (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. Feb. 22, 10 a.m.) SHANGHAI, Feb. 21. The Japanese army spokesman, Major Kunio Akiyama, at a press conference said Japan was like a “peace dove,” but Britain and America were “snakes placing snake’s eggs in a dove’s nest.” He said that Japan’s reaction was to “protest very vigorously.” An interpreter added: “Major Akiyama means nothing unkindly when he calls Britain and America snakes.”

Major Akiyama said that the “snakes’ eggs” included the fortification of Singapore and Guam and the arrival of Australians in Malaya. He added that Britain and America were making an effort to “impose the status quo upon Japan,” whereas actually Britain and America were guilty first of breaking the Pacific status quo, the former when she abrogated the AngloJapanese alliance and the latter when she abrogated the Japan-American commercial treaty

He said that Japan was “always victimised,” and added that all the talk of war in the Pacific was centred on the eastefn side of the Pacific, whereas in the western Pacific, everyone was crying “peace.” Asked whether the Japanese planned or were planning countermeasures to the arrival of Australians in Malaya, Major Akiyama said: “Not as far as the army is concerned.” However, the navy spokesman declined to comment on the same question as far as the navy was involved.