PACIFIC WAR COUNCIL

Grey River Argus, 22 May 1942, Page 5

PACIFIC WAR COUNCIL

NEW SLOGAN

PUSH JAPS INTO JAPAN.

WASHINGTON, May 20.

After to-day’s meeting of the Pacific War Council. the members came away in exceptionally good spirits. The New Zealand Miniate) (Mr. Nash) acted as spokesman te the Press. He said that the members adopted the slogan, "Japan lor the Japanese.” Asked what this meant, Mr. Nash told the Press to make their own interpretation. The . reporters suggested that it mean) push the Japanese back into then own islands, and keen them there. Councillors did not comment on tins, but Pressmen gained the impression that there was unanimous and earnest agreement on such a desirable objective. Mr. Nash said the meeting was the most interesting yet held They outlined and examined the general picture, which Mr. Nash described as “not bad,” but he said that vvr- ' have still a long way to go. At this point, Lord Halifax inter posed, “We are building up.” Mr. Nash said that Mr. Roosevelt described details of Brigadier Doolittle’s magnificent exploit in bonibing Tokio, which was verv thrilling Mr. Nash said: “We will' have to think uo another of that type.” Dr. Soong said they wished the Ho "an. “Jaoan for the Japanese,” disseminated for general circulation and comment, from which a synthesis of ideas could be drawn and- as to where we shall go from there, but Dr Soonp' did not exolain his Durable Asked about the Chinese appeal for heln. Dr. Soong said he had not received any appeals, and did not see X except in the Press. He said: “It does appear Japan is attacking

China from several new points. For instance, firstly, the Cnekiang province on the coast; secondly, she is massing men and planes at Hankow, thirdly, frontier fighting in the Yunnan province, where the conflict is, al present favourable to China. “It looks as if Japan is going to make a very serious effort to defeat China this Summer.” Asked if this grave threat to China was discussed at the Council, Dr. Soong replied in the negative. but explained the joint General Staff was considering the China situation all 1 the time. Asked if China were satisfied with the help the United States furnished, so fa 1 ' hp replied: “China will never be satisfied until full victory is won.” Reporters decided from the way in which the questions were dodged that Mr. Roosevelt was the author of the slogan, “Janan for Japanese.” Mr Hull, in a Press interview today. indicated that he saw some grounds t.o hone victory would come sooner than had previously been expected. Asked whether the developments in recent weeks on the home and foreign fronts encouraged the belief of an earlier victory. Mr Hull pointed out that the nowers and facTties. .of the United States were developing on a more and more massive scale, not onl-- for offenfive-do-fensive onerat’ons, but also for an outright offensive war. It was omv natural- that calculations as to the duration would be made in the light of, those facts.

Mr. Hull said the immobilising of the French warshins at Martin’que was still going on, but the removal of fuel' was romnlpted.