THE BURMA ROAD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24430, 16 October 1940, Page 7

THE BURMA ROAD

REOPENING AWAITED MUNITIONS FOR CHINA QUANTITY ON FRONTIER LONDON, Oct. 14 (Received Oct. 15, at 11 p.m.) A message from Rangoon states that war materials, including American gasoline, are being concentrated on the Burma frontier in preparation for the reopening of the road At least 300,000 gallons of gasoline and 5000 trucks are on the frontier and 150,000 gallons and 1000 trucks at Rangoon. Chinese troops are gathering on the frontier to escort the trucks The authorities hope to increase the road’s freight capacitv from 300 to 500 tons a day

A message from Washington states that the Maritime Commission announced that it was lending the War Department the former German vessel Amerika. which was seized in 1917 and has been laid up Officials said that the vessel was suitable for a transport. It will be renamed the San Francisco.

AMERICAN NATIONALS FAR EAST EVACUATION MATSON LINERS DIVERTED LONDON, Oct. 15, (Received Oct. 16, at 11.30 p.m.) It was announced in New York that the Matson liner Monterey will sail for the Orient at noon on Tuesday, and will help to evacuate American nationals. The Mariposa, from Australia, will discharge passengers, at Honolulu whence she will also go to the Orient on October 30. Passengers bound for America will continue from Honolulu aboard the Luriine Passengers booked for Australia will be told that they can have theii money back or take a passage on the next trip. The mails and freight a£e being held over for the next boat

According to a message from Tokio, the Asahi’s Hsinking correspondent reports that the new Ambassador, Mr Tatekawa, who left for Moscow, said: “ Japan does not need to worry abou 4 the reported AngloAmerican rapprochement and the overtures to the Soviet.” He claimed that a wiser policy for the Soviet would be to be friendly with neigh bouring Japan than “shake hands with distant America.” The Soviet was undoubtedly aware that it cannot ignore Japan’s naval strength and that it would be difficult to continue to trade with America without previously securing Japarese and Soviet relations. E Mr Tatekawa added that he would start negotiaticns with the Soviet with a clean slate, and was not taking over where Admiral Togo left off.