Evening star., 1941-09-02
Travellers Report
Japan in State Of
Dangerous Ferment
Nation Declared Pressed
By Germany to Take
Aggressive Action
B. the Associated Press.

B. the Associated Press.
SHANGHAI, Sept. Reliable
foreigners, including Axis nationals,
arriving at Shanghai said today
Japan is in state of dangerous
ferment, with extremists being
pressed by German advisers toward
immediate aggressive action on the
Asiatic continent and with moderate
leaders making one last effort to
avoid war in the Pacific.
The German advisers were said
to be demanding continued japanese
defiance of the United States and
Britain.
The consensus in these stories of
the acknowledgements struggle in
Japan is that the Konoye govern
ment either must yield to the ex-
tremists, notably army elements, or
face the possibility of violent over
throw, since, it is said, the super
nationaliSts will not hesitate 10 use
force.
The recent shooting OF Baron
Kiichiro Hiranuma. Vice Premier
and minister without portfolio. was
not merely an isolated individual
manifestation, but a deliberate
warning to moderates in whose
ranks Hiranuma had come to be
considered outstanding, the travel
ers said.
The informantS reported that
Hiranuma. while Home Minister in
the previous Konoye cabinet, began
an investigation of NaA penetration
. of japanese government and indus
try and growing Nazi influence over
the army. They said the Nazis were
bringing every conceivable pressure
to bear to force Japan into war.
News Got Out Prematurely.
These persons asserted that news
of the plot against Hiranuma leaked
out prematurely and on the night
before the shooting, that is, August
l3. an Axis journalist telephoned
police to inquire if Hiranuma was
dead. Since the shooting, it was
said, this newSpaperman has been
under severe police interrogation.
Hiranuma is recovering.
The arrivals from Toxic said that
despite the Hiranuma attack such
leaders as Foreign Minister Vice Ad-
miral Teiiiro Toyoda and Minister
of the Imperial Household Tsuneo
MatSudaira were determinedly seek
ing way out of Japan's dilemma
through an understanding with the
United States.
The informants said this group
should be called realists rather than
moderateS, since they fear that
Japan faces catastrophe defeat if
she challenges the United States,
Britain and Russia.
The arrivals emphasized, however
that not even the so-called moder-
ates were willing to promise a COM
plete reversal of Japan's expansion
ist policies, but merely hoped for a
breathing spell TO delay a Pacific
showdown while attempting to win
American recognition of those pol
eies.
War Seen Inevitable.
The informants said a ma jority OF
foreigners in Japan believe the
United States is not willing to bar
gain with Japans expansionist policy
and hence to them war in the Pa
cific appears inevitable.
The British-United States freezing
of Japanese credits with consequent
suspension of trade was said already
10 have crippled japanese economy
severely and business elements were
pictured as unanimously hopeful of
restorat ton of trade with the United
States and Britain, lacking which,
Japsn's position appears certain to
become more desperate.
The arrivals reported that Tokia'
population was in near-panic over
the prospect of air raids. They said
the capital was virtually without
shelters and that civilians would be
defenseless.
Prior to air raid precautions drills
started yesterday at Toxic the gov
eminent attempted to organize air
defense through associations of resi-
cents ana ennStmentS OF young
girls. boys and women. Some resi-
dents expected construction of big
shelters, but found these impossible
because of subsurface water.
Gardens to Be Refugees.
Thereupon it was decided, accord
ing to these informants, that in
event Of raids the people would
abandon their homes, taking refuge
in their gardens under tatamis-
floor mats made of reeds.
In Kobe buckets of water and
piles Of sand were reported placed
outside every house to fight incen-
diaries.
One foreigner commented: "The
precautions are pitiful-at least they
seem so until you remember Chung
king"