Evening star., 1941-02-21
Matsuoka Expresses
Hope u. s., Britain
Won't Arouse Japan
Considerable Danger
Seen if Pacific Moves
Are Continued
Continued From First Page)

Indies and added that the United
States was planning to blockade
Japan.
The paper said it had confirmed
! to it's own satisfaction that rumors
of a crisis in the Far East were ill
willed propaganda of British
source"
Circulation of these rumors was
followed by concentration of British
defense forces in Malaga, the laying
of mines around Singapore and the
concrete" shaping up of American
| defense activities in the Far East,
| 1t said.
Further" Chugai said, the United
States is preparing to resort to eco
nomic blockade operations against
Japan"
Other Papers Join In Criticism.
Other newspapers contributed TO
a chorus of critical comment on
what is called here "the four power
economic and strategic encirclement
OF Japan" in which the main roles
are given the United States and
Britain, assisted by Australia and
the Dutch East Indies.
ASahi gave prominence to a New
York dispatch declaring that ''the
United States immediate concern
is to check Japan's southwark ad-
vance"
"Outstanding instance OF this"
the dispatch said, are the bill for
reinforcement of defense equipment
on the islands of Guam and Samoa
and other Pacific bases passed We'd
nesday by the House of Representa-
tives) and the executive order
barring entry into strategical bases
in the Pacific"
The ASahi made several references
to American-British cooperation in
the Pacific.
0n Shanghai the Japanese Army's
spokesman, Maj. Akiyama, said "a
Snake-the United States and Brit
ain-placed an egg in the doves
(Japan'SD nest" The egg. he said
was the fortification of Singapore,
the arrival of Australian troops in
Malaga and the impending fortif-
cation of Guam and Samoa
MatsuOka Denies Peace Move.
Foreign Minister Yosuke MatSuoka
held a press conference last night to
deny that he had offered to mediate
for world peace.
London dispatches Wednesday
said the British government had
Informed Commons that it had
received "a special message" from
Japan offering to mediate in the
war;
'AS Foreign Minister" Matsuoka
said, Il never offered mediation to
any nation in the world for restora-
ton of world peace.
Il replied to an inquiry by British
Foreign Secretary Eden concerning
matters relative to japanese media
ton of the Thailand- Indo-China
dispute.
although expressed my views in
that reply concerning the establish
ment of world peace, I never sent
to any nation any message concern
ing japanese mediation for world
peace as has been rumored"
It vas reported here that con-
fusion had arisen from the use in
the Japanese press of the word
message"
Newspapers Differ.
The newspaper Asahi, on its own
authority and without crediting a
source, said the Foreign Minister'S
memorandum informed Britain
that if she adjusts military pre-
paredness and engages in various
operations lin East Asia on the
SuppoSition that some urgent situa-
ton was bound to occur in the Pa
cif1c and South Seas areas, Japan
naturally would be compelled to
cope with her"
The newspaper Hochi. on the
other hand, indicated the wide range
of opinion on the subject by COM
menting in a daily column: Mat
suoka's utterances always cause dis
turbance both at home and abroad
He talks too much, especially at Diet
sessions"
The whole subject Of the mem
orandum" or message" to Britain
was reported to be causing wide
spread government discontinue and
nervousness.
United States Ambassador Joseph
C. Grew was scheduled for a con-
ference at the Foreign Office to-
morrow.
IndO- China Criticized.
The newspaper Asahi said today
of the Thailand-Indo China situa-
ton that Thailand was keeping faith
with Japan in trying to negotiate
peacebly. but Indo-China. lin glar-
ing contrast, is making use of Anglo
American influences to arm itself
against the peaceful economic aims
of Japan with undisguised malice. "
'Indo-China hostility to Japan,
both in the strategic and economic
senses, may be ascribed partly to the
heavy pressure of Anglo-A American
preparations for war. which include
secret contract with Indo- China" +"
the paper added.
"Indo-China is trying to interest
the United States in its affairs
through rubber, which the United
States regards as indispensable to
its munitions industry, which. in
turn, it hopes. would serve to turn
the Toxic conference in its favor"
Reports from Hanoi, French Indo-
China Ia st nioht said IananeSe de-