PRO-JAPANESE ACTIVITIES

Southland Times, Issue 24649, 22 January 1942, Page 5

PRO-JAPANESE ACTIVITIES

U SAW ACCUSED INTERFERENCE WITH BURMA ROAD (Rec. 10 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Jan. 20. “U Saw, the former Prime Minister of Burma, intentionally hampered transportation on the Burma road,” stated Mr Harold Davis, the American transportation expert, who recently inspected the Burma road in the capacity of a United States Government expert. He added that U Saw was the ringleader of a group of so-called Buddhist priests, who secretly co-operated with Japan with a view to blocking the Burma road. Their activities resulted in completely laying off a vast number of trucks, which Mr Davis found in a state of disrepair, rusting by the roadside and with grass growing over the wheels.

U Saw’s Government seriously hampered traffic by levying a 10 per cent, value tax for material passing over the road, including Lend-Lease goods, and the Chinese Governriient was often unable to pay the enormous taxes and so for months received no goods.

NEW PRIME MINISTER OF BURMA

(8.0.W.) RUGBY, January 20. The appointment of Sir Paw Tun as Prime Minister of Burma is officially regarded in London as highly satisfactory. Sir Paw Tun, who is known as a man of strength and determination was acting-Deputy Prime Minister during the absence of U Saw. It is understood that he proposes to retain all the Ministers in an enlarged Government and will himself probably continue as Minister without portfolio so as to be able to devote all his time to the war and to the defence of the country. The inclusion in the Government of members of the old parties indicates that U Saw had not a backing among his own followers. Sir Paw Tun’s wife is an American.