JAPAN’S WAR AIMS

Timaru Herald, Volume CLI, Issue 22200, 18 February 1942, Page 5

JAPAN’S WAR AIMS

Finishing Blow At Chungking (9.50 p.m.) NEW YORK. Feb. 16. Japan’s war aims were outlined bv the Prime Minister (General Tojo) to Parliament, according to the Tokio official radio. They are: (1) Japan is carrying out operations in Burma in order to suppress the Chiang Kai-shek regime in Chungking, but Japan does not regard the Burmese as enemies and will gladly extend to them positive co-operation in the establishment of Burma for the Burmese. (2) Japan firmly intends to strike a finishing blow at the Chungking regime, but regards the Chinese as brothers. (3) India now has a golden opportunity to throw off British and American domination. Japan will not stint herself in extending assistance to India’s patriotic efforts. (4) Japan will crush the Dutch forces,

but if the Indonesian people co-operate the Japanese will emancipate them from the despotic rule of the Dutch Government. Chinese Reaction According to a message from Chungking authoritative Chinese circles interpreted Genera] Tojo’s message as the first step in a peace campaign and ridiculed his reference to “our Chinese brothers” participating in the construction of a greater East Asia. The Catholic newspaper “Ichepao” warns that the united nations should be prepared for the dual offensive which the Japanese are expected to launch on both the peace and war fronts now that Singapore has fallen. “China naturally will be the chief object of the peace offensive, but the Japanese will also try to stir up all the Asiatic peoples against Britain and America. On the war front Burma will be the principal objective of the next offensive.”