London, May 25.
The. impending Anglo-Franco-Soviet mutual aid pact will be extended so as to apply. to the Far East the moment that Italy and the Reich enlarge their military alliance to include Japan, quarters close to the Government asserted tonight.
Up to the present, Britain has not suggested such an extension, and Soviet Russia has not referred to it because she did not wish to raise any extra difficulties in the agreement, they pointed out.
But this state of affairs would be changed and the system of protection would be extended to the Orient should Japan, who is not threatened by a three-power European pact, decide to adhere completely to the Rome-Berlin axis, At the same time, the same quarters voiced great scepticism over Berlin reports that Japan would join the new Italian-German alliance. The Reich has already talked a great deal about Japan's inclusion in the military pact, yet Tokyo has to date refused to join, wishing to avoid complications in Europe, they concluded.—Havas.
Tokyo, May 26, ambassadors to Berlin and Rome may resign as a result of the Government's decision to remain aloof from the Rome-Berlin military alliance, authoritative sources revealed today, i The two Ambassadors, Major.-Gen, Hiroshi Oshima in Berlin and Mr. Toshio Shiratori in Rome, were said to be indignant over the Government's decision to remain neutral in European disputes, They were said to have threatened to resign rather than transmit Japan's final decision to the German and Italian Governments, The Government's. decision con-traveness the recent activities of the two ambassadors Who originally promoted plans for Japanese adherence to the Totalitarian military alliance. Consequently they feel their useful ness to the Japanese Government is ended, it was said.
The Premier, Baron Kiichiro Hiranuma, and the Foreign Minister, Mr. Hachiro Arita, were reported to be attempting to alter the views of the two ambassadors, but if they are not successtl, their resignations will be accepted.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.