SECRET CLAUSES

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24135, 29 November 1941, Page 12

SECRET CLAUSES

ECONOMIC AGREEMENT PLIGHT OF INDO-CHINA JAPANESE EXPLOITATION NEW YORK, Nor. 27 The New York Herald-Tribune claims that secret clauses in the economic agreement forced from Indo-China by Japan have resulted in the colony being stripped of rice, rubber and raw materials, and receiving only worthless yen credits. The Herald-Tribune claims that it possesses documents supporting the contention that Indo-China is facing inflation as a result. The newspaper adds that merchants' letters and other documents smuggled from Indo-China sho\v that, after promising to supply manufactured goods to Indo-China at a fixed price under the agreement, Japanese groups delayed and evaded for long periods. Arbitrary Changes There are also many cases in which the Japanese arbitrarily cancelled original contracts and forced new ones at increased prices. Only a trickle of the materials promised is reaching IndoChinft, in spite of the fact that tho purchase of such goods is the only real outlet for the Japanese yen credits being built up. The chief concessions made to Japan in the secret clauses are said to include tho following:— (]) Tax on foreigners lowered in favour of Japanese nationals. (2) Japanese residents of Indo-China authorised to follow occupations normally forbidden to foreigners, including consignees of ships (Japanese only), hotelkeepcrs, cabaret-keepers, manufac- | turors of radio sets, or representatives of radio firms. (ii) Japanese authorised. to instal and work in Indo-China a printing press for Japanese nationals, (4) Maximum of 50 per cent of Japanese personnel to be employed in Japanese firms and in banking establishments or other undertakings. (5) French Government to 'consider granting permission to Japanese to become possessors of buildings or building land in Annam and Tonkin. Marine and Airways (G) Two companies to be set up to facilitate Franco-Japanese collaboration in economic, agricultural, mining and hydraulic fields. (7) Negotiations to arrange questions relating to direct sea connections, navigation, and fishing in inland waters, and in Indo-China territorial waters. (8) The two Governments to settle problems relating to aerial navigation, wireless telegraphy and submarine cables. (9) Attention to be drawn by the two Governments to their respective shipowners, to the necessity for constant collaboration so that, immediately circumstances permit, an equitable division of the maritime traffic between the two countries may bo established, SERB GUERILLA WAR GERMANS REINFORCED PARTISANS CONTINUE ACTIVE (Rccil, 31.30 P.m.) LONDON, Nov, U7 Strongly reinforced German troops under General Neditch are carrying out a large-scale offensive against organised Serb guerillas, says an agency message from Berlin. The Germans have issued a proclamation, which, says: "If one German soldier is killed 100 Serbs will be shot, Families sheltering bandits will be shot and their homes burned down. Fifty Sorbs will be shot for every explosion planned or carried out," The Moscow radio announced that Yugoslav partisans captured a oar in which were five members of the Neditch Government. They were executed on the spot.

RAIDS BY COMMANDOS "TERROR" FOR GERMANS AN AMERICAN'S ACCOUNT NEW YORK. Nov, 26 The r]nring undercover shock tactics of England's Commandos have been kept secret, but for months London has been ringing with dramatic stories of battle find sudden death stalking behind the German coastal defences, Halph Ingersoll, editor of the New York newspaper P.M., who has just returned from a world tour by way of Ihiftsia and Britain, writes in his newspaper of the Commandos that the British regard them as really "professional terrorists"- for activities in Ger-man-occupied territory. He says: "The men are landed somewhere on the coast or occasionally dropped by parachute. They have u rendezvous with a British boat somewhere on the coast arranged for, say, two weeks later. Pnring these two weeks they hunt in smali packs behind the German lines, gettihg food and occasionally being hidden in the daytime by friendly French or Belgians or Norwegians. "At night they will perhaps hold up a German officers' dance with sub-machine-guns, separate the men from the women and, lining the former up against one wall, shoot them down. Then they will escape through the windows and doors, and those who are not caught will come together at an agreed upon place to plan the nest adventure, "Or they may bomb power stations with hand grenades, tap wires, _ and, when they can, capture a prisoner or two to take home for grilling."