REPORT DENIED

Waikato Times, Volume 129, Issue 21517, 4 September 1941, Page 6

REPORT DENIED

AMERICA AND JAPAN ALLEGATIONS BY NAZIS REPLY WILL BE “NEVER” (UnltM Prr?« .\«ri. —Fire. Tel. Copyright) (Received Sept. 4. 11.15 a.m.) TOKIO, Sept. 3 The Information Board spokesman said that the reported proposal that Prince Konoye would like to meet President Roosevelt aboard a warship was without foundation. ZURICH, Sept. 3 The entire German press carries a uniform article stating that Washington is making the greatest effort to persuade Japan to come to an understanding with White House. It can be said, according to reliable information, states the German article, that these efforts will fail. Japan's answer will be “Never". CHUNGKING. Sept. 3

The first member of the Magruder military mission has arrived here. He is Major Dohne Ausland, United States Marine Corps engineer, who will advise on and co-ordinate in the construction of the Burma-Yangan railway, using American Lend and Lease materials. America’s Gloomy View The New York Herald-Tribune says the Japanese Prime Minister, Prince Konoye, proposed to meet President Roosevelt on board a warship somewhere in the Pacific in an effort to attain a settlement. Mr Roosevelt favoured the idea, but proposed basic conditions which proved unacceptable to Japan. This has caused Washington to take a gloomy view of the prospect of negotiations. The Heraid-Tribune says Prince Konoyc’s proposal reached Mr Roosevelt early last week as a climax to ihe negotiations held between the President and the Japanese Ambassador, Admiral Nomura, after Mr Roosevelt’s conference with Mr Churchill. Mr Roosevelt laid down a series of basic principles, notably the settlement of all international differences by negotiation and equality of commercial opportunity, to which Japan has not so far agreed. The negotiations have not developed as hopefully as was anticipated. There are many difficulties in the way, including pressure by Japanese Radicals in the direction of a strong stand against the democracies. Mr Roosevelt and the Secretary of State, Mr Cordell Hull, declined today to comment for the press on the Japanese situation. Interest in East Indies The talks which are reported to be going on between Japan and the United States have interested the authorities in Batavia, who believe the Netherlands East Indies would welcome an agreement between Japan and the United States; but they point out that the Netherlands Indies Government disapproves of the policy of appeasement and it believes an agreement should exclude any semblance of the Japanese policy of aggression. A fourth additional draft bill was submitted to the Volksraad today, providing 46,000,000 guilders for the purpose of further motorising and mechanising the army, extending the army's intelligence service, and increasing the army’s power of resistance by using parachutists and air infancy. The Japanese Army and Navy in a joint statement, said ' Japanese forces have been removed from Foochow and are “Heading in a new direction for the purpose of continuing their campaign,” owing to having accomplished their mission of destroying a supply route of the Chinese. Naval Strength in Pacific British and American naval strength in the Pacific is emphasised by the naval correspondent of the Manchester Guardian. British Admiralty communiques, he points out, recently disclosed that many*of the units forming the British China Squadron before the war are now employed elsewhere, but it must be remembered that arrival of reinforcements at Singapore has been publicly announced, and that the Naval Command in the Far East is still important enough to have a viceadmiral at its head.

The United States Pacific Fleet has always been a full fighting fleet. It is unlikely that the force has been weakened to any extent by the withdrawal of vessels for patrol services in the Atlantic. Naval strategy in the Pacific is governed under modern conditions by the immense distances separating the fuelling and supply stations on land. Allied and associated warships may, therefore, be anything from three and a-half to ten days’ steaming from one supply base to another.

The Washington Treaty bound all signatories not to fortify or create naval bases on the many small islands between the Philippines and Hongkong. But their natural configuration would enable many of them to be used as sheltering places for submarines and surface raiding craft, and anchorages for repairing larger ships. Many of them lie across the direct route from Honolulu to the Philippines, and thus a nation warring against America would hardly forgo the use of such valuable advanced points from which to harass American lines of communication.

CHINESE SUCCESSES HEAVY JAPANESE CASUALTIES (United Tress Assn. —Elec. Tel. CopyngtU) (Received Sept. 4, 3.15 p.m.) CHUNGKING, Sept. 3 The Chinese Military Council announced that Chinese troops have driven the Japanese forces from Foochow. Heavy casualties were inflicted on the retreaeting Japanese.