JAPAN’S PROBLEMS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 January 1940, Page 5

JAPAN’S PROBLEMS

ABE CABINET RESIGNS

DIFFICULTIES WITH UNITED STATES.

DIET LIKELY TO BE SENT INTO RECESS.

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. LONDON, January 12. The Domei News Agency reports that the Japanese Prime Minister, General Abe, is resigning on January 14.

According to a radio message, it is reported that General Abe has placed Cabinet’s resignation before the Emperor. This action is believed to be

caused by difficulties General Abe has experienced in improving relations with the United States. It is believed that the Japanese Diet will either be suspended or sent into recess in order to allow a new examination of the Budget.

PACIFIC NAVIES JAPANESE HINT TO UNITED STATES. THREAT OF BUILDING RACE. WASHINGTON, January 11. A hint by the Japanese naval spokesman that an expansion of the United States navy would precipitate a building race with Japan has not aroused official comment here.

The Tokio newspaper, “Asahi Shimbun,” issued the warning: “If the United States, disregarding the Japanese Navy’s fundamentally peaceful programme, seeks to maintain unjustifiable superiority, Japan, in accordance with her policy of not permitting aggression, will be compelled to strengthen her fleet to meet the American menace.”

Continuing his testimony before the Naval Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives, Admiral Stark, Chief of Naval Operations, said that the expansion was not directed at the Allies.

Referring to the treaty-breakers’ disregard of neutral rights, he again emphasised that the United States must consider the situation that would follow an Allied defeat, and he said that even with a 25 per cent increase the navy would find it hard to enforce the Monroe Doctrine and at the same time defend the American mainland, the overseas possessions and Panama against a coalition of Japan, Russia. Germany and Italy. He denied an allegation that ' the country was getting a "paper navy” because the building of ships that were authorised two years ago had not yet been started, and he said that the construction was beginning immediately. He expected that the new navy would be completed in 1945.

GUAM BASE JAPANESE SPOKESMAN’S PROTEST. WASHINGTON. January 12. A message from Tokio says that Captain Okuma, the naval spokesman, called the United States’ proposal to fortify Guam Island “rather ungrateful.” He added that Japan could not bo blamed if she supposed it part of a plan to strengthen the Hawaiian Islands against Japan. At a Naval Institute meeting in Washington one speaker commented: "Japan can be expected to seize Guam if the United States presses her intention to fortify it.”

MR STIMSON’S PROPOSAL SIGNIFICANCE DISCUSSED. NEW YORK. January 12. The importance that can be attached to tile proposal of the former Secretary of State (Mr H. L. Stimson) to prohibit the export of arms, munitions and raw materials for armaments to Japan lies not only in the influential position of this elder statesman, but in his earlier publicised proposal for a moral embargo on exports of certain war materials to Japan, which plainly gave the Administration an impetus in that direction.

Some feeling exists that President Roosevelt may have had advance information about Mr Stimson’s statement and the public reaction to it may be indicative of how far the Administration can go in producing pressure on Japan to modify her course in China. Some quarters even see the statement as designed to warn Japan of what she faces after abrogation of the commercial treaty on January 26. Other influential quarters, however, are convinced that the embargo advocated by Mr Stimson would elicit retaliation from Japan which would conceivably bring the two nations perilously close to war. It is pointed out that already Japanese sources are threatening Japanese navy building to cal el i up with America,