TO RETURN HOME

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 10 September 1941, Page 6

TO RETURN HOME

BRITISH AND JAPANESE NATIONALS KONOYE TO MAKE STATEMENT EFFORTS TO RESIST PRO-AXIS PRESSURE f ßec. 2.0 p.m.) London. Sept. 9. The Japanese Foreign Office has announced that Japan will send ships to Britain and other parts of (he British Empire to evacuate Japanese nationals. Three ships will be despatched t* the Straits Settlements, India, the Near East, and East Africa, and a fourth ship carrying Japanese diplomats and military and naval attaches to replace those at present in Europe will bring evacuees from Europe. There are 600 Japanese in the British Isles. 700 in Malaya, 200 in India, 60 in the Near East, and 10 in East Africa. A British ship ii J expected in Japan soon to remove British nationals. I A Tokio me.ssage says that Admiral I Toyoda, Foreign Minister, reported to i Cabinet and the Privy Council on re* : cent diplomatic developments, including i twelve conferences with the American ! Ambassador It is believed Japan i would withdraw objections to American 1 oil going to Vladivostoek if the United States resumed oil shipments to Japan. The Shanghai correspondent of tho United Press of America says informed circles believe that Prince Konoye is doing his utmost to resist Army and pro-Axis pressure, and the opinion has therefore been expressed that th« Premier’s heralded public announcement would be vague, but might suggest some progress toward a better understanding with America. Other sources pointed to the decision of Britain and Japan to evacuate nationals as indicating doubt that an. agreement is near According to the Shanghai correspondent of the British United Press Germany is recruiting several hundred Chinese seamen to serve aboard heavily 1 armed German freighters which will sail from North China to Japanese harbours under the Japanese flag. Mili- , Lary authorities in Shanghai think that j the vessels might be used as raiders against shipments t*> Vladivostoek. Britain will take a serious view of any further southward expansion by I Japan, said Mr Duff CoopA" on his ar- | rival at Singapore. He was unable to say what Britain might take, but Japanese provocation would meet I strong British reaction. There had I been a slowing down in Far Eastern i tempo but no lowering in tempera- ' ture. He added that the purpose of his visit was to report to the British Cabinet on the desirability of appointing a representative in the Far East similar to Captain Lyttelton’s appointment at Cairo. Before returning to Britain in six months Mr Duff Cooper would visit Australia. New Zealand, the Netherlands Indies. Burma and possibly China.— P.A.