'EXTREMELY STRAINED'

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 27 October 1941, Page 5

'EXTREMELY STRAINED'

SITUATION IN FAR EAST View of United States Minister POINTED COMMENT BY JAPANESE PRESS Washington, Oct. 23. ihe situation in the Far Fast is extremely strained,” said the Secretary of the Navy, Colonel Knox, at a Press conference. “We are satisfied that the Japanese do not intend giving up their expansion -flans and, if they pursue them, a collision is inevitable. The Japanese Press characterises Colonel Knox’s statement a*. American bluffing. The "Hochi Shimbun” says: “We are carrying on Japan’s decided policies regardless of American bluffing. I he “Chugai Shimbun” said that in Colonel Knox’s speech he made his usual blunder of attempting to threaten Japan. I he Domei News Agency quoted a well-informed source as saying that the serious situation to which Colonel Knox referred was caused by the United States’ own actions and that Japan had done all in her power to preserve peace. The Japanese Cabinet Information Board said Colonel Knox s speech was unfortunate when negotiations were going on. The speech was contradictory to the spirit of the negotiations. The Domei :Agency stated that the Japanese-American negotiations were likely to be the chief subject of discussion at next month’s extraordinary session of the Diet.

The spokesman of the Cabinet In- \ j formation Board. Mr K. Ishii, said that j the Washington negotiations were progressing. 1 He revealed that contact was maini tained after the Cabinet change and | pointed out that Japan’s every point j l ad been explained to Washington and ; j r.id, "And I think now everything I rather depends upon Mr Hull and | Admiral Nomura.” ! A Rome report cites authoritative ! circles in Tokio as declaring that the | United States has created the present i situation in the Far East in order to prevent the realisation of Japan’s j “new order,” and that Japan could not I remain a passive spectator. Despite Japan’s patient attitude the situation has worsened, it was said, and j the United Slates had brought its re- ! lotions with Japan to a decisive point. In view of the recent United States ! anti-Japanese economic measures, .Japan was firmly resolved to enforce I respect for Japanese rights. JAPANESE MILITARY PLANS Japanese troop movements during j the past 48 hours have at last clarified the intention of the new Japanese ! Government, says Vincent Sheean, the j -New York Herald-Tribune” corresj pondent at Singapore. I What they indicate, he adds, is neither a northern nor a southern advenj ture. but an attack on the Burma Road by way of Yunnan Province which, I it successful, would cut China’s lifej line and render American aid imposisible. Mr Sheean proceeds: "My information is that the Japanese are now holding fresh troops at Haiphong and Canton while movement of their forces in Upper Tongking and along the ! Yunnan board has been going on for about a week and a railroad equip- ; ment is being brought up there/as if foi the reconstruction and use of the Yunnan railroad. “The troops at Haiphong arc intendi ed merely as a threatening gesture toward Hong Kong. Simultaneously, Japanese troops are moving toward : the Thailand border in Cambodia to i guard the southern flank. “If the Japanese can drive through •o Kunming they hope to check American plans for aid to China without involving Japan in war with any major Power. CONCERN IN THAILAND An open suggestion by the “Japan Times” that Japan should offer Thaii lend her “assistance” is causing deep ; concern in authoritative circles in Thailand, states a Bangkok message. Continued references in Tokio to the alleged success of anti-Japanese political plotters in Thailand are also viewed with concern because of the inherent threat which these suggestions carry to Thailand's policy of ityj Thailand has repeatedly declared ; that she will uphold her neutrality I even to the point of war in the event of I aggression from any quarter. ! The Chinese Central news agency I quotes reports from Hong Kong that the Japanese have arrested more than 1000 young Chinese in Canton in the last fortnight in an effort to counter--1 act the growing resistance, j Many of the prisoners are said to j have been tortured in an attempt to | make them divulge secrets of the antiI Japanese movement. A Honolulu message reports that American-born Japanese, when they i arrived from Japan in the Tatuta i Maru, said that Japan was an armed i and rationed camp, ready for war, I though food was short. When they left a week ago, war fever was high and people were preI pared for air raids and sea attacks. They believed that conflict was in- | evitable. New shortages of foodstuffs and I new restrictions almost daily are com- ; plicating living. j The United States Department of Commerce reports thu: Japan’s econo- ! mic situation is grave, primarily as the result of the cessation of trade with , British, American and Netherlands countries which previously accounted for 75 per cent, of Japan's total foreign business. , The report adds that Japan is now dependent on the resources of the yen bloc area, where prospects of selfsufficiency are not bright. Japan is faced with the almost com- * plete dislocation of cotton exports, and ; ar. uncertain future for the silk in-

custry, in addition to a severe shortage of strategic materials. REALISTIC AIR-RAID DRILL IN TOKIO The Tokio correspondent of the United Press reports that a fortnight's air raid drill was so realistic that nine persons were killed and 25 injured.— U.P.A. RUSSIAN OFFICER’S DEATH Shanghai, Oct. 25. The former Russian military adviser to General Chiang Kai-shek. General Mrochovsky, shot himself dead as Fxench Concession and Japanese gendarmes entered his home to question him regarding an alleged illegal radio transmitter.—U.P.A.