Would Germany Help Japan In A War With Russia?

Northern Advocate, 10 August 1938, Page 5

Would Germany Help Japan In A War With Russia?

(Received 2.30 p.m.)

LONDON, August 9. TO A BERLIN MESSAGE, THE JAPANESE AMBASSADOR SAID THAT IN THE EVENT OF A RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR GERMANY WOULD AFFORD JAPAN MORAL AND OTHER FORMS OF SUPPORT.

fho Berlin correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” reports that, while not directly denying the report of assurances to Japan, he says officially it is insisted that Germany is not inter _sted because the anti-Comintern agreement is only cultural.

Mr Shigemitsu, Japanese Ambassador to Russia, is again conferring with M. Litvinoff. ne is expected to anno mice ,an important concession to Russia concerning the proposed fron tier demarcation commission.

Japanese Army Chiefs In Conference. 4

A conference of Japanese army chiefs, summoned by Lieut.-Colonel Itagaki, Minister for War, in reference to the Manchukuo situation, is being followed with keen attention.

The decisions, though not revealed, .are expected to have a vital effect.

The conviction in Moscow is that Japan’s military extremists are determined to force the issue, despite moderates in the Tokio Government, while Russia is equally determined not to recede from its present stand. This presents a serious situation for the second session of the Supreme Soviet on Wednesday.

According to the “Asahi Shimbun,” Herr von Ribbentrop, German Foreign Minister, is reported to have .assured Shigenori Togo, Japanese Ambassador at Berlin, that Japan could be assured of something beyond moral support from Germany, no matter how far the Russo-Japanese dispute mignt develop, says the Tokio correspondent of the “Daily Mail.”

The paper adds: “It is officially stated that reports of material German help to Japan are misleading.”