PROTECTION OF SINGAPORE

Southland Times, Issue 24368, 24 February 1941, Page 5

PROTECTION OF SINGAPORE

POSSIBLE THREAT BY JAPANESE SURVEY OF PUBLIC OPINION (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) (Received February 23, 10.30 p.m.) NEW YORK, February 22. The Gallup survey reports that the majority of the United States citizens are prepared to try and prevent Japan seizing Singapore, Netherlands and the East Indies, and in addition, the majority said they favoured obtaining the use of bases in Singapore, Australia and New Zealand as a means of protecting United States interests in the Pacific. The survey reports “momentous developments in the attitudes of the ordinary American towards the whole Far Eastern question.” The majority have come to believe definitely that United States interests would be threatened if Japan were to seize Singapore and the Dutch East Indies. A substantial section of United States opinion would be willing to “risk war if necessary” to keep Japan from raising her flag in Singapore, or taking over the Netherlands Indies. Finally—and not the least important—-American opinion is still in the process of formation where the Far East is concerned. “The events of the next few weeks or months may therefore have a powerful effect on the American public’s ultimate decision,” added the survey. Sixty per cent, voted yes to the question whether United States interests would be threatened if Japan took Singapore and the Netherlands Indies. In answer to the question whether the United States should try to keep Japan from seizing Singapore and the Indies, 56 per cent, replied yes, 24 per cent, no, and 20 per cent, were undecided. On a question whether the United States should risk war with Japan in order to keep Japan from taking Singapore and the Indies 39 per cent, replied yes, 46 per cent, said no and 15 per cent, were undecided. JAPANESE CHARGES A message from Tokyo says that the American Ambassador to Japan (Mr Joseph C. Grew) conferred with Mr Yosuke Matsuoka, the Japanese Foreign Minister, about the turbulent Far East situation. Officials refused to discuss the talk, but it is believed that it included Japanese charges that the United States and Britain were disturbing the Far East by defence preparations, and also increasingly open warnings that Japan might take counter-measures.

Mr Matsuoka came under the fire of Parliament over the Government statements about Japan’s willingness to mediate for peace anywhere in the world, and also the still mysterious note or “message” to Britain. Mr Koichi Seko demanded that Mr Matsuoka publicly explain his conduct, whereupon a member of the administration said that Mr Matsuoka would appear before the House Committee on Monday and would make a full statement. Increasingly concerned over the United States and British moves, the Japanese Foreign Office has started to intensify its efforts to arrange a quick and binding peace between Indo-China and Thailand, believing that a solution of their dispute will help Japanese diplomacy, apart from stabilizing the situation in both countries.

A message from Tokyo says that, amplifying last night’s interview with Mr Matsuoka, the vernacular newspapers said that Mr Matsuoka had not made a mediation offer, but merely expressed long-cherished views concerning world peace. Simultaneously, he admonished Britain and the United States against their conduct in aggravating relations in the south Pacific because of the fact that “Japan has not taken any action in these areas calculated to cause unrest to Britain and the United States.” Mr Matsuoka declined to reveal the contents of messages exchanged without Jritain’s consent, adding that they contained nothing which could be interpreted as an offer of mediation in Europe. “I cannot even imagine that Mr Eden himself should ever entertain such a conception. At the time I had taken such measures as would insure against any possible illusions that my procedure might have been taken after consultation with Germany.” A message from Honolulu states that the armada of 31 United States Army P 36 Pursuit planes have been landed after being secretly ferried from the mainland aboard the aircraft carrier Enterprise.