JAPANESE REQUESTS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 June 1941, Page 6

JAPANESE REQUESTS

TURNED DOWN BY DUTCH EAST INDIES. DISSATISFACTION IN TOKIO. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) TOKIO. June 18. The Government spokesman. Mr Ishii, announcing the recall of Mr Yoshizawa, head of the Japanese trade delegation to the Dutch East Indies, said that the Japanese Government could not remain indifferent to the spread of the war to the South Seas, also that Japan’s economic relations with the East Indies were gravely affected as the result of the East Indies' mobilisation for war. Mr Ishii outlined the Japanese requests to the East Indies as including:— (.1) Participation in the development. of the abundant natural resources of that country. (2) Acceptance of Japanese immigration and. the right to pursue occupations there. (3) That Japanese ships should be permitted to call at closed ports for the purpose of transporting goods resulting from Japanese enterprise. (4) The partial opening of the coastwise shipping trade to Japanese ships. (5) A permit to Japanese residents to develop the fishing industry. (6) Japanese participation in the development of aviation communication. Mr Ishii said the Dutch replied that the basis of the Dutch policy was the progress, prosperity and emancipation of the East Indies and its inhabitants. The Dutch reserved the right, at any time, to reduce the amount of exports to Japan of essential materials to which Japan attaches great importance.

Batavia reports that following the discontinuance of negotiations, it is understood there that Japan will accept the quotas for raw materials offered by the Dutch, based on what is regarded as Japan’s normal requirements. Mr Yoshizawa, in the course of a statement, announced that he had been instructed to return home at. the earliest opportunity owing to the impossibility of reaching an international agreement on the basis laid clown by his Government. He expressed the hope that the reasonablenes of the Japanese proposals, which were founded upon the mutual prosperity of both countries, would be understood bj’ the Netherlands in future.