ATTACK ON JAPAN.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 63, 12 February 1936, Page 7

ATTACK ON JAPAN.

BY AMERICAN SENATOR. TRADE WITH CHINA. WASHINGTON, Feb. 10. Senator Pittman, chairman of th« Senate Foreign Relations Committee, delivered an address in the Senate toda y so critical of Japanese policy that it is feared it is likely, to arouse worldwide attention. He claimed that Japan intends to close the door to China to America “even if war is necessary to accomplish it,” and' advocated American naval and air forces sufficient to “protect” American rights. “China is still an independent Government at peace with the world and desirous of trading with us, and there is nothing in the circumstances that can legally or long physically interfere with such trade,” he said. He characterised as arrogant and impertinent alleged statements of Admiral Takahashi that unless the United States renounces her naval policy aimed at expansion and protection of her foreign trade Japan will l>e forced to extend her fleet’s cruising radius to New Guinea, the Celebes, and Borneo, and to establish a foothold in Formosa and mandated South Sea islands. Senator Pittman declared that Congress would not be bulldozed into the abandonment of national defence and the protection of America’s legitimate foreign trade or her commerce with China.

Senator Lewis, who recently visited Russia, joined Senator Pittman in the attack on Japan with the novel prediction that Japan and the Soviet would form an alliance against the United States for the domination of Asia to the exclusion of American trade, and would eventually co-oper-ate in the seizure of Alaska and the Philippines. The Military Appropriation Bill, introduced into Congress to-day, calls for the record expenditure of 572,000,000 dollars, although of this 197,000,000 dollars is for non-military purposes such as building waterways and other internal improvements which are handled by the War Department. Allocations for military purposes are increased by 23,000,000 dollars. Funds for the construction of 565 combat aeroplanes are included.