Evening star., 1940-07-17
Britain Agrees
10 Stop Arms
Traffic 10 China
Konoye, Appointed
Premier, Confers
On New Cabinet
BULLETIN.

TOXIC R-Prince Fuminaro
Konoye. premier designate, to-
day described his plans for q
virtually military government for
Japan, in which national policy
will be formulated by the
Premier and the ministers for
war, navy and foreign affairs.
By the Associated Press.
TOXIC, July 17.-Prince Fumi-
marc Konoye, aristocratic exponent
OF a Fascist-like one-party system
for Japan, plunged into political
conferences today to form q new
government as Japanese expansion
lists pressed for positive action to-
ward the Oriental empire of France
and the Netherlands.
Even a governmental crisis was
not permitted to halt Japan's strides
toward creating . new order" in
Asia.
The Foreign Office announced
Great Britain had agreed formally
to close the Burma road lifeline Of
the Chinese government for three
months and stop traffic in gasoline,
trucks, railway equipment and
"other materials" from Hong Kong.
effective tomorrow.
Shipments of actual arms had
been banned since January /, 1899.
The Hong Kong announcement and
the japanese pressure to obtain un-
conditional closing Of the Burma
route were considered all part of
one Japanese campaign.
Yakichiro Suma, Japanese foreign
ONCE spokesman, declined to COM
ment directly on United States Sec
retary Of State Hull's pronounce
ment Of United States interest in
world commercial routes, adding
that "the agreement concluded be-
tween Japan and Great Britain does
not concern any third power"
Prince Sees Emperor.
Prince Konoye, who was Premier
from June 2, 1887, to January 4,
1899, during the period of Japan's
greatest military activity in China,
was commissioned by Emperor Hiro-
hito tonight to head a new cabinet.
The prince had a prolonged audi
ence with the Emperor and it was
believed in political quarters had
apprised him of plans for q new type
of cabinet, probably more compact
than is customary.
The movement to dissolve all
existing political parties and merge
them into q single national unit
gained momentum with announce
ment that the 31-year old Seiyu.
kai, one Of Japan's major parties,
had disbanded and pledged its
members to join the new organi.
zation under Prince Kenoye's lead
ership.
The 48-year-old prince later
Joined the war and navy ministers
in discussing formation of his new
government.
The post of foreign minister was
considered the most important in
view Of the army pressure which
yesterday forced resignation of Pre-
mier Admiral Mitsumasa Yonai.
Mentioned for foreign minister
were Yosuke Matsuoka, a veteran
of Japanese statecraft who was Q
delegate to the Versailles peace con-
ference, and Toshio Shiratori, long
an advocate of outright military
alliance among Japan, Germany
and Italy who was recalled from his
ambassadorship to Rome last Sep
tember.
There was a possibility that
Prince Konoye would serve as his
own foreign minister.
Radical Change Expected.
Japan was expected to turn to
radically altered foreign policy
one looking to Japanese expansion
southwark. The provincial press
editorialized that the Yonai resigna-
ton was a natural development
from rising public opinion that
new and stronger foreign policy
was necessary.
I'm CnungKlng q SPOKESMAN
for the Chinese regime Of
Generalissimo Chang Kai-shek
said he expected q Konoye cabinet
would launch q peace offensive"
on the Asiatic continent.)
One of the chief reasons given
for Admiral Yonai's fall was his
governments failure to satisfy ex-
pansionists, who demanded that
Japan take full advantage of the
golden" situation created by the
defeat of France and the Neither
lands, both Of whom have rich
colonies In the Far East.
Yonai was attacked, too, for ex-
cessive liberalism" and for not
working close enough with Italy
and Germany.
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