PACIFIC SITUATION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 5 December 1940, Page 5

PACIFIC SITUATION

AUSTRALIAN CONFERS WITH MR HULL TOKIO PRESS BITTER ANTI-AMERICAN FEELING WHIPPED UP , T U.P.A.-By Electric Telegraph-Copyrtght| Received sth Dec., 10.30 a.m. WASHINGTON. 4th Dec. The Australian Minister, Mr Casey, conferred with the State Secretary, Mr Hull, on the Pacific situation. Mr Casey afterward said: “We exchanged some mutually satisfactory observations.” Later Mr Casey appeared as a witness before the Export Control Board on behalf of the early release of large orders of machine tools for Australia, believed to be valued at some millions of dollars.

A message from London states that anti-American feeling is being whipped up in Japan as a rejoinder to the Washington announcement of a 100,000,000-dollar loan to the Chinese to help them clear the Japanese out of their country.

The Tokio press takes a threatening tone, and one paper says the Sino-Jap-anese conflict has already ceased to be one between Japan and China, and re„ fers to action of much greater importance yet to come. Relations between Japan and the United States, says the newspaper, are now so seriously strained that the position does not allow for any wishful thinking. Reports from the Japanese capital say that the police have been ordered to take steps to protect Americans against results of the Press campaign ordered by the same quarter. It is reported that extra police guard the United States Embassy, and similar measures are being taken throughout Japan to guard against the consequences of anti-American demonstrations. POLICIES OF MOSCOW AND BERLIN American reports from Berlin state that Germany is still maintaining diplomatic relations with the Chungking Government in spite of the fact that Japan has signed a treaty with the puppet Government of Mr Wang Ching. wei. According to reports from Berlin, the Three-power Pact is intended for future aggressors against Germany, Italy and Japan. Though Russia has not commented on the pact with Mr Wang, she is reported to be continuing her assistance to General Chiang Kai-shek. The Turkish radio points out that while Germany and Italy are allies of Japan, the Soviet, so far, at least, is in the other camp in the Far East, and, with Britain and the United States, is aiding the Chinese. In Ankara it is thought that the terms of the Japanese Pact with Mr Wang are definitely anti-Soviet. An agency report from Moscow says the Japanese Ambassador there has been discussing Far Eastern fishing rights with the Soviet Foreign Office. On the other hand, Berlin has been saying that he is negotiating a nonaggression pact with Russia. CHINESESUFFER JAPANESE BLOCKADE OF AREA IN SHANGHAI SHOOTING REPRISAL SHANGHAI, 3rd December. Japanese gendarmes yesterday announced a formal blockade of the Japanese-controlled western settlement area following the murder of another gendarme at the weekend by a Chinese gunman. They issued regulations under which foreign residents will be permitted entrance or exit subject to the discretion of Japanese officers in issuing passes. The Japanese are said to be considering a relaxation of the food blockade. The Municipal Council has requested consular representatives to do their utmost to bring about a relaxation of the blockade. MENACE OF FAMINE SHANGHAI, 4th December. The blockade has entered the third day, and the barricaded area resemble* a besieged city. The spectre of famine hovers over thousands of Chinese in the marooned area, as little fresh food is allowed to enter. In the meantime the Japanese are conducting a house-to-house search.

“JAPANESE PEOPLE BLINDED" BY GOEBBELS’ SMOKESCREENS AN INDEPENDENT OPINION (Received sth December, 12.20 p.m.) LONDON, 4th December. Britain only needs better propaganda to find new friends, Viscount Hisakira Kano, London manager of the Yokohama Specie Bank told the “Daily Exi press,” in an interview. “British pro- | paganda is feeble. My countrymen are only just beginning to hear of your victory at Taranto, which has been smothered by German propaganda. Dr. Goebbels sent such a thick smokescreen round the world that the Japanese people have been blinded. It is Britain herself who has driven Japan into the arms of the Axis. The Japanese people are still your friends, but they want to know you are not going down to defeat.” JAPANESE TROOPS TRANSFERENCE TO FRENCH (N DO-CHIN A QUESTION IN HOUSE OF COMMONS (Received sth December, 11.20 a.in.) RUGBY. 4th December. Mr R. A. Butler, Under-Secre-tary for Foreign Adairs, replied to a question in the House of Commons concerning information received by the Foreign Minister, Lord Halifax, regarding the transference of Japanese troops from Central China to French Indo-China. the creation of further air and naval bases in the latter country and peace overtures by Japanese agents to General Chiang Kai-shek. Britain, he said, was keeping in touch with the United States Government on all questions of mutual interest m the Far East.

Mr Butler emphasised that Britain, which had repeatedly made known its attitude in the matter, continued to re ognise the National Government at Chungking as the Government of China.