JAP TRADE EXPERT

Grey River Argus, 2 May 1944, Page 5

JAP TRADE EXPERT

Deserts Berlin Embassy fAus. & N.Z. Press Assn.] (Rec. 7.45) LONDON, May 1. The “Daily Mail’s” Stockholm correspondent states he has discovered the first Japanese diplomat to desert the Axis. He is Professor Sakimura, who was a member of the Japanese Embassy staff in Berlin. He was a trade expert therein until last year. Then he came to Sweden, where he subsists on the generosity of the Swedish Academic Institute. He is planning a book comparing Japanese with German feudalism io the detriment of them both. He declares that the Japanese Ambassador at Berlin, Oshima, is a complete autocrat, and is in love with Hitler. He says: “After three years study, I considered that German industry could not defeat' the Western Powers. Verbal expressions of that opinion landed me in disgrace, and eventually in danger.” He added that, from his own knowledge, a stoppage of Turkish chrome must be a severe blow to Germany. He expressed the opinion that Germany could have been defeated in December 1943, if the Allies had continued to progress by way of Italy, and the Balkans. The Nazis had worked wonders in supplying their bombed plants with spare parts. Now their key plants had their spare parts buried just outside of danger' areas, thus enabling bombed factories to be rebuilt with amazing speed. Hitler’s most serious problem was a shortage of coal and steel, due to a dearth of skilled labour. Strain on the steel industry might be judged from the fact that nothing for domestic consumption was produced for months. ______