MILITARY PACT

Evening Star, Issue 23693, 28 September 1940, Page 11

MILITARY PACT

AXIS POWERS AND JAPAN SIGNATURE ANNOUNCED BY BERLIN PROVISION FOR ASSISTANCE IN EVENT OF ATTACK BY NEUTRAL Press Association—By Telegraph—^Copyright LONDON, September 27. (Received September 28, at 9 a.m.) The German radio announced that a 10-year pact between Italy, Japan, and Germany had been signed. The German announcement of the alliance said Hitler, Count Ciano, von Ribbertrop, and the Japanese Ambassador, Mr Kurusu, attended the signing. The three last-named read the agreement aloud in their respective languages. Von Ribbentrop declared that the pact was a military alliance between the three most powerful Powers in the world. Anyone disturbing the world’s peace would feel the might of 250,000,000 people. After Germany and Italy had succeeded in partial restoration of their rights warmongers from a Jewish capitalistic democracy had forced war on Germany. That Power was now collapsing. “ The struggle we are now waging is not directed against any people, but specifically against the existence of an international plot,” he said. “ The pact proclaims Italian, German, and Japanese collaboration. It is the creation of a bloc of common interests.”

The Berlin correspondent of the Associated Press states that the pact means collaboration and mutual assistance, Japan recognising Germany’s and Italy’s leadership in the new order in Europe, but the British United Press says it is a military alliance.

The German radio later confirmed that it is a military, political, and economic pact. Germany and Italy will recognise Japan’s leadership for the the creation of a new order in Asia. The contracting parties agree to undertake to support each other militarily by all means at their disposal in the event of one being attacked by a Power not yet involved either in the war against Britain or the ChineseJapanese war. The agreement alters nothing in the political status existing between each and the Soviet. The pact comes into force immediately.