JAPANESE NAVY READY

Southland Times, Issue 24447, 29 May 1941, Page 5

JAPANESE NAVY READY

“300 WARSHIPS IN PACIFIC”

ACTIONS DEFINED UNDER TRIPARTITE PACT

(Rec. 6.30 p.m.) . TOKYO, May 27. The Navy Ministry spokesman, Captain Hideo Hiraido, stated that the Imperial Navy was always prepared to meet any eventuality. Two hundred warships were engaged on the China coast and more than 300 additional warships and 4000 planes were stationed in the Pacific, ready at a moment’s notice to defend Japan against any combination of enemies.

Captain Hiraido added that the United States was now preparing to convoy merchantmen, so she naturally risked entering the war. Japan’s actions were clearly defined under the Tripartite Pact.

The Japanese Spokesman, Mr Ishii, told the Tokyo correspondent of The New York Times that Japan does not intend eithei’ to answer or retaliate to the British action in placing on the black list Japanese ships. He expressed the view that black-listing was intended to bring pressure on Japan to submit to the “navicert” system, which Japan could not recognize. He added that the practical effect of the black list was that some Japanese whalers would be denied the privileges of Australian ports where they usually called, but indicated that other Japanese ships not on the black list would continue to call at British ports.