WAR RESOURCES

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24066, 10 September 1941, Page 8

WAR RESOURCES

JAPANESE POSITION ACCUMULATION OF STOCKS ALTERNATIVE POSSIBILITIES (Heed. 5.3.5 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 8 A warning against under-esti-mating Japan's 11 economic position and misunderstanding her shortage of commodities offered for consumption is given in the current issue of the Economist, says the British official wireless. Supplies, it is stated, are large enough to cover Japanese wartime requirements for periods ranging, in various goods, from six to 15 months. It is estimated that they will permit Japan, while continuing the war in China, to face an Anglo-American trade embargo for about a year, or allow her to fight a southward blitzkrieg for about six months. Germany's attack on Russia was not foreseen in Tokio, and a new situation was thereby created. This led the Japanese fighting services to demand an urgent further increase in war stocks, so as to enable them to face —besides a continuation of tho China war and an embargo, or a southern blitzkrieg—aggressive action against Russia, in case it should collapse before the German onslaught. After Japan's adherence to the Tripartite Pact, the complete apparatus of German-financed economic and technical advisers was imported and superimposed by the Tokio War Office upon the whole of Japan's finance and economy. This apparatus was chiellv responsible for a huge accumulation of war stocks. The accumulation in Japan of large additional stocks of war supplies was accomplished, firstly, through systematic economising in war and other materials originally earmarked for China; secondly. by continued tightening up during the past 12 months of Japan's foreign trade and foreign exchange controls, and by reducing exports to the minimum required by foreign exchange needs; and thirdly, by further curtailment of civilian consumption. JAPAN AND INDIES CAPITULATION DEMANDED ACTION LAST YEAR REVEALED (Reed. (I.flO p.m.) LONDON, Sept. !> The Daily Telegraph says that the Dutch Government in London has revealed that on the day on which Germany invaded Holland, May 10, 1940, the Japanese Minister at the Hague presented a Note to the Netherlands Foreign Minister, which, if met, would have meant the capitulation of the Netherlands East Indies to Japan. The Dutch Government was prepared to allow Japan to obtain raw materials for her own use, but refused to give up the Indies.

"WAITED TOO LONG" JAPAN AND PUSH TO SOUTH LONDON, Sept. i) The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Mr. Duff Cooper, who is on a special mission to the Far East, is expected at Singapore to-day. Interviewed at Manila, where he arrived by Clipper, he said Japan waited too long for further expansion southward. "A year ago was her most auspicious time," he said, "but to-day we are in a stronger position in every way. Everything in the past year has been to' our advantage." FEARS OF INVASION

GERMANS IN NORWAY LONDON, Sept. 8 The Norwegian telegraph agency reports that the Germans have installed invasion sirens in northern Norway, which are sounded continuously when invasion is feared. Several alarms were heard at Harstad after reports that warships had been observed. The alarms caused the Germans to flee panic-stricken to the mountains. Detailed instructions how to act in the event of invasion are being distributed.