JAPANESE AIMS

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21336, 6 February 1941, Page 9

JAPANESE AIMS

NEW NAVAL BASF. DUTCH INDIES MENACE I i ANGLO=AMERICAN ALARM (United Press Assn.—Eloo. Tel. Copyright) | LONDON, Feb. 4 The likelihood of Japan’s gaining ; the naval base at Camranh Bay, on the coast of French Indo-China, I some 800 miles west of the Philippines and the,, same distance northeast of Singapore, as a reward for her mediation in the dispute be- i tween Thailand and Indo-China, is causing concern in British, American and Chinese circles. The Chinese insist that Japan’s moves presage an attack on Singapore. British and American diplomats admit that the moves mean that Japan has obtained an important jumping-off place for her South Pacific expansion plans, of which the Dutch East Indies are the present goal. I Well-informed quarters believe the j Dutch East Indies would be able to resist a Japanese attack for only two months. Japanese militarists are convinced that the proper time to launch an offensive against the Indies would be at the time of Ger- ; many’s expected “all-out” attack on Eritain. There is no belief that i Japan can be made to surrender her j East Asia policy either by threats or j by mildly punitive actions like em- j bargoes. Since the embargo and threat tactics were evolved there has been a great intensification of the “totalitarianisation” of Japan, and the militarists are in complete control. The Tokio newspaper Kokumin j Shimbun says it is self-evident that Japan will go forward with her fixed j policy. It will not matter what atti- j tude the Dutch East Indies takes toward Japan’s request for co-opera-tion. Development in Russia A fresh development in the Far i Eastern situation was a statement to- ! day by the Soviet Foreign Minister, ' M. Molotoff, that he was willing to appoint representatives to discuss a ' trade treaty with Japan. It is believed Japan is making j efforts to clinch the German assuri ances regarding Soviet neutrality by 1 the formulation of a. Russo-Japanese | non-aggression pact. Russia has become an extremely important factor, but the paramount , , factor is Germany’s mooted “all-out” j attack on Britain. The successful j I repulsion of this attack would be the 1 strongest deterrent to Japan.