Evening star., 1939-08-04

uyfccHtcHL EHLO WtlLLtuTy QLtI.
ance, and in recent months mill
tary circles in Japan haze agi-
tdted for a military alliance be-
tlDeen Japan and the dris poDers,
but government has declined to
90 that far yet.
BY the Associate ted Press
ROME, Aug. 4-The japanese
Ambassadors to Rome and Berlin
in conference at Lake Como today
land groundwork for extensive mill
tary, political and economic discus
sions to be opened shortly by Japan
with Italy and Germany.
The official italian news agency,
Stefani, said the Japanese diplo-
mats-Toshio Shiratori from Rome
and 1t. Gen. Hiroshi Oshima from
Berlin-were talking of japanese
adherence to the Italian German
military alliance, which pledges each
to come to the others aid in war
time
The possibility of increased jap
aneSe collaboration with the axis
partners is to be explored with Fas-
cist and Nazi leaders by a Japanese
delegation which is due to arrive
in Naples August g.
Terauchi, Osumi Heads.
Heading the delegation are Gen.
Count Juichi Terauchi and Admiral
Baron Mineo Osumi, who are to
attend the Nazi Nurnberg Congress
Sept. 2-11 and the Fascist ami
versary of the march on Rome"
in October.
Terauchi was replaced December
l as supreme commander of Japan's
war forces in North China and
made member of the Supreme War
Council, which in effect is semi
retirement. Osumi, former navy
minister, also is on the Supreme
War Council.
Foreign diplomats thought Ger
many and Italy would press hard
to get Japan into a military all
lance. japanese military circles
favor such a lineup, but the dip
lomats believed other Toxic leaders
might resist on the basis that Ger
many and Italy could give Japan
little assistance in the Far East
in event of war.
Stefani said the Ambassadors had
declared the subject of their meet
ing was the question of the Toxic
governments adherence to the Ital-
ian-German alliance of steel"
Alliance of steel" is the term used
in the Italian and German press to
designate the military agreement
signed last May.
Some foreign observers, however,
expressed belief that the meeting
was diplomatic feint.
Meet Near Lake Como.
The Ambassadors to Rome and
Berlin, accompanied by their mill
tary attaches and counsellors, were
at Villa d'Este, near Lake Como.
A statement that they were con-
sidering eventual closer adherence
OF Toxic to the two axis powers" was
attributed to Shiratori by Premier
Mussolini's Milan newspaper, II
Popolo dItalia. The meeting will
continue until the end of the week,
it was reliably reported
Usually informed Italians thought
the talks might we'll be the prelim-
mary step toward negotiations with
Italy and Germany to broaden the
three powers present ties to COM
bat international communism into
an arms pact such as exists between
Italy and Germany
Interview Displayed.
II Popolo dItalia displayed an in
terview with Shiratori under
three-colum headline Important
Talks at Villa d'Este"
The envoy's remarks, however, did
not specifically commit Japan to ad-
here to the axis military alliance or
even to any new pacts.
Nevertheless a number of attend
ant circumstances added credence
to the possibility Japan might be
ready to go the whole way with her
anti-Comintern partners.
A basis, in part, for this specula-
ton was the fact that the two Am
bassadors were accompanied by
their military attaches.
The published statement also re-
ferred pointedly to the fact Villa
d'Este, site of the drafting of the
1talian-German military alliance
last May, had been chosen for its
significance.
Those foreign observers who
thought they saw concerted action
between Japan in China and Ger
many and Italy in Europe wondered
how Toxic could come closer" to
her ti-Comintern partners with
out some form of military alliance.
Observers inclined to regard the
declaration as bluff pointed to the
indefinite word, eventual"