JAPANESE PEACE FEELERS

Chronicle (Levin), 24 June 1947, Page 5

JAPANESE PEACE FEELERS

SUGGESTIONS THAT WERE NOT WELL RECEIVED Received Monday, 7.0 p.m. LONLON, June 23. Officers in General MacArthur'p headquarters and Allied observers in Tokio as Avell as the Japanese, believe Dr. Evatt's visit to Supreme headquar ters next month will hasten the peacc treaty with Japan, says the Xews Chronicle's Tokio correspondent. The;, lliink Dr. Evatt's visit is closely^ asso ciated with the pending Canberra eon ference between representatives of tlu British Commonwealth* of Nations to determine theii' attitude towards tlu peace eonferenee and with ■ Viscoun. Montgomery's eoming talks witl General MacArthur in Tokio and witl, the special meeting of the Australian Cabinet on July 2 at whieli Viscounl Montgomerv will be present. At the same time repreSfintatives oi the Japanese foreign office are prepar ing J apan 's case. Feelers are being put out by these rqpresentatives to members of the Allied missions in Tokio and to General MacArthur T headquarters. During recent weekt Japanese have been putting out manjserious peaee feelers to American and other Allied quarters. The peace feelers ranged from the return of territories such as Okiriawa, PormoSa, the Kuriles and certain islands off northern Japan, to the im possibility of paying large reparations. When it had been obvious that these feelers had not been well • received by the Allied press to which the Japanese have free access, tliose who put them out have retracted their statements say-' ing they had been misreported by the entire world press. In all tlieir suggestions the representatives of the Japanese Foreign Office have carCfully probed for wealtnesses in tlie armour of the Allies' united front. They attempted to play upon the possibilities of war between the Anglo'Americans and Russia. In these talks the Japanese sp'okesmen have triyd to sell the idea that Japan was no'longer powerless. Indeed they have gone so far as to convev that they were not seeking favours. Japan, they pointed out, can b6 a po'werful ally against Communism and a strong Allied springboard for Asiatie military operations wffiich would certainly be required in, the immediate "futurel i