JAPAN’S NAVAL LOSSES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25736, 6 January 1945, Page 5

JAPAN’S NAVAL LOSSES

“BY NO MEANS SMALL’* PRIME MINISTER’S ADMISSION WASHINGTON, (Rec. 11 p.m.) Jan. 5. The Tokio radio says that the Prime Minister, General Koiso, told the Cabinet that Japan’s naval losses in the battles of the Philippines and Formosa were by no means small, and added that the situation in Leyte was not necessarily favourable and was gradually spreading throughout the Philippines. In spite of his desire to make 1945 a year of victory the outlook of the war situation was extremelv grave. General Koiso warned the members of the Cabinet that because of the Gerfnan counter-offensive “ the enemy may attempt to make up in the-Pacific for the setback on the European fronts.”

The Cabinet approved war finance measures, including increased taxes. Prince Hirohito earlier received General Koiso and other officials, and discussed important matters, of policy. Admiral Nomura, a former Ambassador in Washington, in an article in the newspaper Hochi. predicted that Mr Joseph Grew’s appointment as Un-der-Secretary of State would harden the American attitude towards Japan. He asserted that the Jananese can end the war only by fighting until the Americans, who hate the Japanese more than the Germans, realise that Japan cannot be crushed. He warned that the Americans’ fighting snirif now eannot be under-estimated.- The Pea’d Harbour attack lighted the match to the chagrin of the Americans’ strong self-conceitedness. -