Evening star., 1941-05-05
japanese Will Fight
# u. ). Enters War,
Matsuoka Warns
FriendIiness for Pope
Hints Contradiction
In Attitude, However
By WALTER DURANTY,

BY WALTER DURANTY,
Foreign correspondsr, of The Star and
TOXIC, May 5.-The Pope in the
estimation of Yosuke Matsuoka,
japanese Foreign Minister, is the
greatest man he met on his recent
Western trip. He didn't say so in
exactly those words, but it was clear
from his conversation during an in
terview yesterday that that was the
way he felt
The Foreign Minister began by
talking about the Pope. with him
I felt the words his holiness were
not a conventional phrase, but
meant something true and real, that
he is above human frailty and folly
and that perhaps through him and
from him there may be hope OF
peace" he said.
Matsuoka received me in his home
"a European-style room wherein
I noted three things: An ancient
head of Buddha and at either side
of clock on the mantlepiece signed
photographs of Adolf Hitler and
Premier MusSolini. Although he be-
gan by talking about the Pope and
peace there was no peace IN the
words which followed.
Would Fight Against U. S.
He said Japan had entered the
| tripartite agreement to keep the
| United States out of war, and that
| if now the United States should
be involved in hostilities with Ger
many, Japan would feel bound in
loyalty and honor to fight against
the United States.
I pressed the question. I said,
But Mr.. Minister do you really
mean that if American conveys or
patrols should come into conflict
with German planes or U-boats-
do you mean you would consider
that to be a cause for clash be-
tween Japan and the United
| StateS?"
Matsuoka said yes, that that was
what he meant.
AS foreign correspondent 1 have
met many important people who
loomed large in world affairs, but
never one who spoke so frankly as
MatuSuoka did and yeti don't be-
leve he meant what he said.
I will give you my own reasoning
and you can judge for yourself.
MatSuoka began by talking about
the Pope and the possibility of the
Pope's bringing peace to a troubled
world. He talked about peace in
China, that he hoped-not through
Russian mediation, but because of
the agreement with Russia-there
perhaps might be found an arrange
ment between Japan and China
which would permit both countries
to live in amity on mutually honor
able and self-respecting terms.
Then he stated categ0rically, and
repeated it, that if the United States
should become involved in hostilities
with Germany, regardless of wheth-
er war was declared Japan, in that
case, must be loyal to the tripartite
pact and. therefore, would auto
matically be at war with the United
States.
Fond of America.
The japanese Foreign Minister
said this, but I do not believe he
meant it. He spoke with deep feel
ing of his own fondness for America
and a Scottish family in Oregon who
were, to use his own words, second
parents to me-"
There was no doubt in my mind
about his words being sincere.
From what Matsuoka told me l
reckon that one of the reasons why
Japan signed the tripartite agree
ment was to keep America out of
war and that today Japan must
say through its foreign minister,
who was mainly instrumental in
the signing of that agreement
Japan must say, if America fights
we will fight
1t is logical that Japan must say
it, but wonder. You have only to
look at this man to feel his pro-
found sincerity and to know he has
pledged Japan's word to Germany.
So Japan must stand by that pledge.
That is what he told me and, of
course, he meant it; but I didn't
believe it was true. I mean
thought he was using me to make
last threat to the United States
to say, eff you fight, we fight, and
you must take the consequences"
But all the time I sensed there
was a contradiction-that Matsuoka
wanted peace, not war.
I spoke to him about the posi-
bilities of peace. I said, Perhaps
tomorrow there might be some
chance of peace"
He replied, DAY after tomorrow"
This statement gave me the key
to his thoughts. He thinks that
peace between Japan and China
may be possible in the near future,
but that for world peace there is
now little hope, although-so I
gathered-he would be willing to
cooperate in that direction when
and if some time later the occasion
might present itself
Japanese Loyal, Matsuoka Says.
asked him why Japan had signed
the agreement with Germany which,
according to his own words, might