JAPAN’S STATUS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 July 1941, Page 5

JAPAN’S STATUS

NOT VASSAL OF GERMANY ACCORDING TO CONSUL AT VANCOUVER. HOPE OF BETTER RELATIONS WITH BRITAIN. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright i OTTAWA. July 12. A message from Victoria, British Columbia, states that Air Ichiro Kawasaki, the recently appointed -Japanese Consul at Vancouver, who spent four years al the Japanese Embassy in London, in an interview with the Canadian Press today, said that -Japan was not committed too deeply with the Axis. "We are not vassals of Germany." ho said. He added that the Germans wore difficult people to deal with but the British were compromising. He looked for a renewal of trade relations between Britain, Canada and Japan. "We have too much in common with the British people," he said. "Like them we are a seafaring nation, dependent on world trade. We are not like the Germans. They are ruthless and uncouth."

MORE THREATS AGAINST INDO-CHINA. BRITAIN WATCHING SITUATION. . LONDON. July 12. The newspaper “Japan Times and Advertiser." Tokio, today said that Japan would, be justified in taking adequate measures for the protection of her interests in French Indo-China if Japanese Press allegations were only half true. The chief complaints were that the French were not fulfilling their trade treaty obligations and were restricting rice shipments and failing to suppress Chinese propaganda. A British Official Wireless message says attention has been drawn to Japanese Press reports alleging ill-treat-ment and victimisation of Japanese nationals in Indo-China. These protests have a familiar ring and needless to say Britain is watching the situation closely. Franco-Japanese relations in Hankow were strained today by a gun fight in the French Concession between French Annamite police and a group of Japanese in which one Japanese was killed. Five Japanese civilians were arrested. The Japanese naval authorities threaten reprisals.