JAPAN WILL SUCCEED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18025, 28 February 1933, Page 5

JAPAN WILL SUCCEED

CORRESPONDENT’S VIEW BRITISH PRESS COMMENT LONDON, Feb. 26. Mr. Ward Price, cabling to the Daily Mail from Chinwangtao, says that the best-informed neutral opinion at Pekin considers it certain that the Japanese will completely occupy Jehol within one mouth. The most critical stage of the operation will then begin. Looting and rioting arc almost inevitable when 100,000 Chinese troops, foodless and disorderly, stream towards" Pekin. Arrangements have been made to accommodate foreigners in the fortified legation quarter.

The Daily Telegraph says Britain has not tile smallest intention of being dragged into the hostilities over Manchuria. The Daily Mail’s naval correspondent says:—“Until a shite of war is officially notified, Japan has no legal ground lor interfering with the supply of arms to China,' but if confronted with the spectacle of China drawing war materials from sources from which she is debarred, Japan might consider herself justified in forcibly preventing the munitioning of her enemies. Jupan is in a position to establish an effective blockade of the ships of several nationalities, including British and German now en route to Chinese ports with war material. It would be difficult for Britain and the European Powers who adopted British maritime law to deny that Japan has the right to search ships in Chinese waters. But the United States would challenge the exercise of that right, as she did in the case of the Allies in the World War. Hag incidents would then arise, threatening a grave extension of the conflict.” The Daily Mail insists that Britain leave Japan alone. “Our fire-eating pacifists,” it says, “must be resisted strenuously. Japan created the modern Manchuria. If she abandoned it, it would be swallowed up 'by Russia.”

ARMS RACE WITH RUSSIA ANNOUNCED BY JAPANESE __ __ TGKIO, Jan. 27. Japan is striving to build a military air force equal to that of Soviet Russia, the Minister of War, General Sadao Araki, told the House of Peers to-day. via pointing out the need for adequate air equipment, the war minister emphasised the recent statement of Josef tfla'in that fulfillment of Soviet Russia’s liveyear plan had been hampered by the necessity of preparing for war. Stalin’s declaration, the war minister warned, means that “Russia either ixpects Japan to attack, or that Russia intends to attack Japan. It was the first time. General Araki had openly mentioned Russia during his appearances before the Diet to reply to interpellations. His remarks caused a buzz of excited comment and recalled the fiery military leader’s request, at the close of the Russo-Japanese war in 1 904, that Japan, seize Siberia as a part of the Imperial domain. , Without mentioning the prevalent fear in Japanese military circles of aerial attack from Vladivostok on the Osaka industrial area, were the leading Japaieso munitions factories are located, General Araki said he considered Japan’s present aerial defences “insufficient.”

Japan’s dispute with China over Jehol Province ‘'must he settled sooner or later,” General 'Araki replied -to questions relating to the Japanese occupation,

of Manchuria. -“It is impossible to foretell the'time oi f method this matter will be settled” he added. “If China dispatches troops to Jehol we will 'be obliged to take decisive .action.” The national defence has been strengthened to meet “any. emergency” and further improvements are planned for this year, General Araki said. It is hoped, he assured hi? questioner, that the extraordinary budget for armaments and military improvements will not be necessary “after two or three years,”