"ARMING IN FAR EASTERN PORTS"

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23851, 30 December 1940, Page 7

"ARMING IN FAR EASTERN PORTS"

AMERICAN NAVAL BELIEF 'A JAPANESE SPOKESMAN ISSUES DENIAL By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received December '2O, 11.80 p.m.) XEW YOTIK, Dec. 09 It is reliably stated, says a message from Manila, that the United States naval authorities are giving the closest attention to the reported arming of at least 1 2 German vessels at present in Japanese ports or Japanese-controlled harbours in China, for raiding activities in the Pacific. It is understood that several of these German ships are already engaged in provisioning and refuelling the German raiders which are at present active in Australian waters and the Indian Ocean, and they are probably making their rendezvous in Japanese-mandated islands. Authoritative American defence officials express the opinion that the German vessels will be completely armed by midJanuary. They will constitute Hitler's aid to Japan in starting her programme of southward expansion,, which will be timed to coincide with action by Germany iri south-east Europe—immobilising the United States Fleet in the Pacific while Britain urgently"needs naval assistance in the Mediterranean. The officials said foreign intelligence reports indicated that numerous Germans had been arriving in Japan for months, and that Hitler was pressing Japan to "put the squeeze on" the United States while Hitler strikes in Europe. Naval authorities at Manila understand the German vessels will not only be used as commerce raiders in an effort to drive British shipping from the Pacific and Indian Ocean routes, but may also be used as the vanguard of Japanese moves in the Dutch East Indies. 1 hey said it was understood there had been tremendous troop movements from central and south China to Formosa and Plainan Island, and all preparations had been completed for a southward push. However, it was pointed out that no K wan tun g units have been moved, indicating that Japanese fears of Russia are not dissipated. A message from Tokio says the spokesman of the Japanese Navy characterised as "false and fabricated" the reports that German vessels in Japanese-controlled China harbours are being armed for raiding activities. He said the Navy would not permit it, and no such activities were at present in progress in the aforementioned harbours. Such reports, he added, were undoubtedly similar to the unconfirmed report that a German warship with a Japanese name, and flying the Japanese flag, shelled Nauru, and their purpose was to cause disturbance. He said he had no information that German raiders were making their rendezvous in the Japanese-mandated islands.