Evening star., 1941-08-10

the aggressive plans now in motion have
that objective"
With that in mind, Secretary of State
Hull on Thursday gave new scolding
to the French government at Vichy
while he stayed himself from clear
statement regarding Siam. The Secre-
tary disclosed at his press conference
that he had received a new note from
Vichy which was said in that provisional
capital to inform the United States in
general terms that France intended to
defend her empire in her own way.
The Secretary made it clear that this
country will remain skeptical of any
French assurances on paper
Vichy until events prove that the
Warned assurances mean something.
The Vichy note was consid-
cred an answer to statement by Un-
dersecretary of State Welles. He took
France to task for allowing Japan to
establish bases in Indo-China.
The japanese throughout the week
took a clustering attitude toward the
United States. On Tuesday Comdr. Hideo
Hiraide, the japanese Navys official
spokesman, predicted in popular mag
azine that the United States would seek
bases on Russian soil and said that
Japan could not remain unconcerned,'
inasmuch as Japan would consider such
bases threat to herself.
On Monday the last japanese ships In
American ports cleared these harbors.
and the feeling in San Francisco was
that no other vessels flying the Rising
Sun flag would be seen in those ports
for long time. Last to go was the
Heian Maru, which left Seattle Monday
night, II hours after the Tatuta Maru
sailed from San Francisco. The Asama
Maru a week ago Friday left Homo
lulu for San Francisco, but it was pre-
sumed she turned back for Japan.
But up to the very close of the week
Japan and the United States did no
more than grumble irritably about each
other Japan complained that she was
being encircled. Secretary of State Hull
at his Friday press conference said that
Japan's encirclement was of her own
making.
All the way across Asia the threat of
war was in the air. A source OF IN
formation usually well informed
Neor told the Associated Press in
Eost Istanbul that Britain was pre-
pared to send several divisions
of Indian troops through Afghanistan
to help bolster Russian defense of the
hot a n
was planning a formal protest against
massage of British supplies or troops to
Russia but ultimately would consent
to the move. The most direct route to
the Caucasus is through Afghanistan
and Iran. Control of this gateway has
become the object of British-Axis rivalry
in the Near East.
Ankara heard that German diplomats
had advised the government Of Iran
that the Nazi armies advancing into So
Wet Russia would be standing on Trans s
Caucasian frontier before winter. An
thony Eden told the House Of Commons
in his Wednesday speech that Britain
was desirous of ousting German in
fluences from Iran. He said:
1--WE have drawn the serious attention
Of the Iranian government to the dan
ger to their own interests which they
are risking by continuing to permit a
large number of Germans to reside in
that country. I trust that the Iranian
government will not fail to heed this
warning given in all friendliness and in
all sincerity, and that they will take
the necessary measures now to deal with
the situation"
Trans geographical location makes her
of vital strategic importance in the
British German conflict for supremacy
in the Near East