JOIN IN WAR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 24011, 8 July 1941, Page 7

JOIN IN WAR

JAPAN MAY MOVE

LONDON PRESS VIEW

"ORDERS FROM BERLIN" (Reed. 10.40 p.m.) LONDON; July 7

Newspapers in London are discussing the possibility that Japan will intervene in the war, either by attacking Russia in the rear or by a move southward. The Daily Express declares: "Japan's policy is already cut and dried. Tokio is merely awaiting Berlin's commands."

It acids that bv careful timing Japanese intervention might make all the difference between a successful Russian defence and a Russian defeat.

The Sunday Despatch believes a Japanese blow will bo aimed at Vladivostok and the Russian maritime provinces. This will be followed by.a drive against Singapore, which will be contingent upon Germany's ability to drive against India through Russia.

The Despatch points out that the General Staffs in London and Moscow have already provided for such a development. and one immediate countermove would be military co-operation between Russia, Britain and China. A message from Chungking, says the official Chinese Government organ, the Central China Daily News, urges a conference of all the democracies in the United States for the purpose of concluding an agreement covering all fronts for co-operation by the United States, Britain, Russia and China against the Axis, working out a military agreement, establishing a Joint General Staff, and formulating economic co-operation, including an antiAxis embargo.

In a statement last month the Japanese Foreign Minister, Mr. Matsuoka, stated Japan's foreign policy as follows:—

1. Japan's fundamental policy has for a long time been firmly established and has undergone no change whatever. 2. Since the conclusion on September 27 last of the Tripartite Pact, Japan's foreign policy has consistently been conducted with this Pact as its pivot. This should be clear to all from the statements on various occasions by the Prime Minister, Prince Konoye, and myself as well as from the subsequent development of Japan's policy. There has, of course, been not the slightest deflection from this course of policy. 3. It is, therefore, absolutely impossible to imagine that Japan should fail in the slightest degree to carry out faithfully her obligations under the Tripartite Pact. 4. As has frequently been affirmed, Japan's policy toward the South Seas is peaceful. Should, however, untoward international developments render the execution of such a policy impossible, there is a possibility that Japan may have to reconsider her attitude in the light of the changed situation.

CHINA WILL TRIUMPH OPINIONS OF OFFICIALS HUGE LOSSES THROUGH WAR (Reed. 12.15 a.m.) SYDNEY, July 7 The Chinese National Party in Australia to-day commemorated the fifth anniversary of the war with Japan. A ceremony was held in Sydney, at which two notables, the Chinese Consul-Gen-eral, Dr. Pao, and the Chungking Government's special commissioner, Sir. K. T. Loh, delivered addresses, voicing the opinion that China will triumph this year. It was revealed that the Japanese since the outbreak of hostilities in 1937 had seized 340,000 square miles, equivalent to one-quarter of China. Chinese military losses are estimated at 1,500,000 and Japanese at 750,000, but it is computed that 24,000,000 of China's population have died as a direct or indirect result of the war. Many of them were victiirfs of the floods in the Yellow River, and of famine and pestilence, afid many died while attempting to escape from the war zones in the early part of the war.

NOT AN EMPTY PLEDGE HELP FROM UNITED STATES (flecd. 8.15 p.m.) LONDON, July 6 Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, interviewed for the Dutch "radio Orange" programme transmitted by the British Broadcasting Corporation to Holland, says a British official "wireless message, said: "Thanks to the kindness of the British authorities, I had a very quick journey. I went to Canada by aeroplane direct from Britain, and returned in one of those American-built bombers which now leave Canada for Britain in an ever-increasing flow. It was a great experience to be allowed for a time to pilot this marvellous aeroplane." , The Prince, referring to his short trip to the United States, said: "The Presidential pledge that America will be the arsenal of democracy is not an empty phrase. 1 was impressed by the enormous quantities of war material now being produced in the United States. .My very great confidence in victory has been still further strengthened by what I saw during this visit."