WARNING TO U.S.A.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 64, 17 March 1942, Page 4

WARNING TO U.S.A.

JAPAN'S PREPARATIONS TO ENTER WAR CUTLINED BY AMERICAN JOURNALIST This is the eighth of the “Chronicle's" exclusive series of articles by James R. Young, famous American newspaperman. He spent 13 years in Japan and saw how she prepared, with German instigation, for the Pacific war. He says that America knew , last October that Japan plani ned to invade U.S. possessions; ■ that Japan's Pacific attacks : were outlined two years ago ' by her naval strategists; and i that U.S. diplomacy failed to appreciate Japan's prepara- ; tions. I S. Slates I)c|)arlmein officials have argued with Aine‘iean newspaper coiTespopdents from th< , Orient that to aid Japan would keep Japan from moving. T WARNED the U.S. Stale Deparl--1 meat in newspaper articles, lectures, on the radio and in my book, "Behind the Rising sun, ’ tnat the Japanese uere mei. l\ v ailing to load up on American oil, scrap iron, ano the like, before moving south in light- ' ing array. i’here has been nothing genuinely peaceful in any Japanese assurance ( since 1931, wnen japans army conquered Manchuria, i hat first bJult 1 at Britain worked, and encouraged not only Japan, but. Germany and Italy lo use similar methods. Note this dab of diplomacy;After America denoun need Japan last year, a Japanese tanker, one ol their largest, stood by near San Francisco with 4,500,000 gallons 01. oil. The captain wanted to sail. A Stale Department order held him. Acting Secretary of State Welles castigated the Japanese. Then the State Department released the ship. Why? The Japanese captain explained that he was not taking the oil to IndoChina, but to Yokohama. The State Department evidently believed this fantastic explanation. Of course, the skipper was not taking his precious load of oil for Japanese navy transports, motor caravans, tanks and planes, to Indo-China! There are no refineries in Indo-China, nor in Yokohama! A day later, another Japanese tanker took approximately 3,000,000 gallons of oil while at Shanghai: the Japanese held an American cargo from shipment. America did nothing. In those tense hours, 55 Japanese vessels, three aircraft-carriers, uikl ; 30 transports moved south on previously supplied American petroleum made available by State Department appeasers! America jumped on the Japanese, but, as she condemned the aggressors, she let them take 7,500,00 U gallons of oil with which they were able to increase their storage supplies for attacks on Pearl Harbour, Manila, and Singapore! Americas third aid to the Axis included a shipment of 1557 barrels of lubricating oil a week for Japan's armament plants! Indo-China brought the Japanese close enough to create a real danger —enhanced by U.S. diplomats who consistently refused lo recognise a fact until it was accomplished by the enemy. Japan’s hufe petroleum purchases were stored for the day Germany would demand a Japanese move against America. Japan, under total Nazi domination, naturally moved like any puppet under obligation. Tokio is as free as \ ichy and Rome. To-morrow’s article in this series will deal with the effects of the war evident in Japan when James Young was released from a Japanese Gestapo 1 gaol in May. 1940, after two months’ 1 imprisonment.