TOJO SPEAKS TO DIET

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23977, 18 June 1943, Page 5

TOJO SPEAKS TO DIET

PREPARING TO MEET ALLIED OFFENSIVE “JAPAN STRENGTHENING POSITIONS ” (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) NEW YORK, June I*. "Japan is strengthening her positions for sure victory," said the Japanese Prime Minister (General Tojo). when addressing an extraordinary session of the Diet, according to the Tokyo radio. He added: “Alarmed by the rapid development of our position Britain and America are attempting to obstruct and check us at all costs. They increasingly show signs of making further offensives by mobilising massive forces, but Japan has foreseen these things. The Imperial forces will meet the British and American counteroffensive wherever it comes, and Japan is developing new methods to defeat it. Japan will put forth all her effort! until her adversaries are brought to submission." General TOjo added that it was Japan’s immutable policy t6 free Greater East Asia permanently ffdifl Anglo-Saxon domination. “Japan in* tends to facilitate the rise Of China, arid she is more than ever determined to assist China by all mearts,” he declared. General Tojo reiterated the claim that independence would be granted to the Philippines and Burma. Independence would be granted to the Philippines this year. Japan was also resolved to exhaust all means to expel and eliminate Anglo-Saxon influences from India. “Japan has gone on the defensive in the hope of holding Greater East Asia,” says the "New York Times” in a leading article commenting on the Diet meeting. “Tojo’s speeches are so contrary to the true situation that they sound fantastic. Nevertheless, it is a mistake to underestimate Japan’s strength. While the Allies concentrate against Hitler Japan is growing stronger daily, and the longer victory in Europe is delayed the harder it will be to defeat Japan. That is why speed is the essence of victory.” NOT HOLDING ALEUTIANS view oFTapanese STRATEGY (Rec. 10 p.m.) NEW YORK, June 1». ‘‘The Japanese are apparently letting the Aleutians go by default,” says the ‘‘New York Times” correspondent with the United States North Pacific Fleet. He says that since March 27, when a small American task force outfought a Japanese naval group twicfe its size, turning back a convoy boUfid for Attu, the Japanese have not attempted to supply their isolated tfddpS in the Aleutians except by submarine. They have launched only two feeble attacks from their base at Paramusir against the Americans mopping up on Attu. ‘‘The Japanese failure to react to the American advance confirms the opinion that their original attacks on the Aleutians last June were intended as a diversion for the attack on Midway Island. The subsequent investment of Kiska, Attu, and Aggatu was evidently an afterthought inspired by the weakness of the American military establishments. Now the Japanese seek Only to make recapture as difficult aS possible with the troops already there.” DEFENCE POLICIES IN AUSTRALIA PARTY CONTROVERSY DEPLORED ,(Rec. 7 p.m.) LONDON, June 18. Australia’s ‘‘Brisbane Line” controversy Is attacked in an article featured by “The Times” and the “Manchester Guardian." Written by the Canberra correspondent of these newspapers, the article is displayed under the heading, “Recriminations in Australia.” The article says: “The present party quarrels presage an election campaign in which the Government Will seek to make a main issue the rival merits of its own and its predecessors’ defence policies. This is an intolerable prospect for the great mass of Australians. Mr Menzies had to face entirely different war conditions from those confronting Mr Curtin when he took office. History’s verdict will undoubtedly be that Mr Menzies tackled the prevalent conditions with immense credit to Australia, and by doing so laid a foundation without which the Labour Party’s war record could not have been written. “Labour had little to be proud of in its pre-war defence record. But under Mr Curtin’s leadership it has handsomely redeemed its past shortcomings, although there have been some conspicuous personal exceptions to that generalisation. The pity is that Mr Curtin should have permitted himself to make such a deplorable lapse from the high standard of public conduct which he has set himself, as ta indict his predecessors so unjustly.” NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL MAYOR’S ADMINISTRATION TO BE EXAMINED NEW YORK, June 18. The New York City Council, in a dramatic midnight session, voted to empower a special committee to investigate the administration of the Mayor (Mr F. H. La Guardia). Earlier in the evening the Democratic majority of the council introduced a resolution to appoint an investigating committee. However, Mr La Guardia’s supporters objected on technical grounds that the proposal could not be considered at the same session in which it was introduced. The Democratic majority therefore adjourned the council until one minute after midnight, which was technically the next day, when the resolution was carried. The “New York Herald-Tribune” states that the investigation is aimed immediately at the city’s Commissioner of Investigation, Mr William Herland, but it is expected to spread to other departments of Mr La Guardia’s administration. CHAPLIN MARRIES AGAIN (Rec. 11 p.m.) NEW ( YORK, June 17. Charlie Chaplin, who is 54. and Oona O’Neill, the 18-year-old daughter of the dramatist. Eugene O’Neill, were married to-day at Santa Barbara, California. Chaplin, who has been married three times before, said they had planned the wedding for June 1, but unfortunate circumstances had made a delay necessary. Several weeks ago an actress. Joati Barry, aged 23, brought a paternity suit against Chaplin, alleging that hi was the father of her unborn child. Last week Chaplin agreed to give Mias Barry 2500 dollars immediately, another 4500 dollars for medical fees, and 100 dollars a week until a further order from the Court. The settlement was approved by the Superior Court. Chaplin, although agreeing to the payment. denies paternity. The agreement provides for a blood test to be made when the child is four months old to determine if Chaplin is the father. Miss Barry collapsed when told that Chaplin planned to marry Miss O’Neill.

U.S. Propaganda In Tunisia.—lt has been revealed that the United States Office of War Information distributed 2.000,000 propaganda leaflets a week on the Tunisian front. Most of them were scattered from aircraft and the remainder were enclosed in shells and fired across the lines.—New York, Jun# 16.