KURUSU HOPEFUL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 November 1941, Page 5

KURUSU HOPEFUL

ABOUT SUCCESS OF MISSION TO U.S.A. REPORTED JAPANESE TROOP MOVEMENTS. CONCENTRATION ON COAST OF INDO-CHINA. LONDON, November 13. In Tokio the Japanese Prime Minister, General Tojo, has discussed with his colleagues preparations for the special meeting of the Diet on Saturday and for coping with “the rapidly changing international situation.” The Canton River has been closed by the Japanese and a Hong Kong message says important Japanese troop movements are taking place in Kwangtung Province, through which that river runs. A Chungking spokesman reports considerable movements of Japanese troops by sea and says there are indications of numbers of troopships and warships massing on the north coast of Indo-China. Observers in Washington believe that peace or war in the Pacific depends on the instructions given to the special Japanese envoy, Mr Kurusu, who is due in San Francisco tomorrow. Mr Kurusu, when he arrived in Honolulu, declared himself hopeful about the success of his mission. ADMIRAL NOMURA SAID TO HAVE RESIGNED. SITUATION VERY SERIOUS. NEW YORK, November 12. The London “Daily Express” states that the Japanese Ambassador to Washington, Admiral Nomura, has resigned. The National Broadcasting Corporation of America heard Tokio radio say: "The United States and Britain are already in a state of undeclared war with Japan. Undeclared war has been caused by the fact that Britons and Americans have’ formed a united bloc against Japan. All that will follow now will be in the military field, which will be the only logical consequence thereof.” The United States Attorney-General, Mr Biddle, announced that the Justice and War Departments were preparing plans to handle the problem of enemy aliens which could be put into effect at short notice in the event of war. Mr Biddle added that the situation in the Pacific was very serious and that Administration officials were much concerned. The Armistice Day speeches of Mr Roosevelt and the Secretary of the Navy, Colonel Knox, coming on top of Mr Churchill’s warning, Have produced a profound impression in Japan as a final demonstration of. AngloAmerican solidarity, says the Tokio correspondent of the “New York Times,” Otto D. Tolischus. Their impact, he says, is such that they have been presented to the Japanese public only in carefully-edit-ed versions. The Press continues to denounce the speeches as outrageous, arrogant, and insulting. SINGAPORE BASE AVAILABLE TO UNITED STATES. (Received This Day, 9.25 a.m.) LONDON, November 13. Mr Victor Purcell, Director-General of the British-Malaya Ministry of Information, has informed the Press that Britain would offer the United States the unrestricted use of naval bases and facilities at Singapore in.the event of war with Japan. He predicted that Britain, in concert with the defence forces of other democratic Powers in the Far East, would be able to defend Singapore and all of Malaya against any possible Japanese aggression.