ITCHING FOR ACTION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 October 1941, Page 5

ITCHING FOR ACTION

THE JAPANESE NAVY

ACCORDING TO SPOKESMAN. PARTING OF WAYS REACHED. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) NEW YORK, October 15. The spokesman of the Japanese Navy, Commander Hiraide, during a lecture said that the JapaneseAmerican relations approached the final crossroads, but the “Japanese Navy has already completed its preparations to meet the worst. In

fact, the navy is itching for action. “In spite of the Government’s strenuous efforts, the situation has now reached a parting of the ways,” he added. “The fate of the empire depends on the actions of this moment. It is certainly at such a moment that our navy should set about its primary mission.”

The Japanese news agency broadcast a message from the Prime Minister, Prince Konoye, after he had an audience of the Emperor. The message said that he conferred this afternoon with the Marquess Kido, Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal, and the President of the Cabinet Planning Board, Lieut.-General Suzuki. It is understood, states the message, that grave matters were discussed. NAZI ORDERS GIVEN TO NANKING PUPPET GOVERNMENT. WITHOUT REFERENCE TO JAPAN. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, October 15. Evidence of the lengths to which the Germans are prepared to go to run Japan’s business for her has reached authoritative quarters in London. Official German “orders” have been sent directly to the Chinese puppet Government in Nanking warning it that the United States proposes to issue a blacklist of the firms dealing with the Germans and Italians in the Far East. The Germans point out that this would be prejudicial to the Nanking Government and “suggest” various means of combating such measures if they are put into operation. The first suggestion is the forbidding of dissemination of the lists and instructions regarding them. The second is suppressing of news of the damaging effect of the measure on the blacklisted firms. The third is punishing by the withdrawal of diplomatic privileges and other means any such dissemination by diplomatic representatives.

lt is regarded here as illuminating that Germany should give such instructions to Nanking without reference to the Japanese. The taking of such a drastic step when no such American measure has yet been applied to the Far East (only to South America) is seen as a mark of apprehension at the effectiveness of such measures of economic sanction.