Tokyo, Mar. 1.
With the fullment of the Army's six-year defence programme in 1043, Japan will be able to cope with the Soviet forces in the Far East, Gon.
Sugiyama, War Minister, aid today in the House of Representative It Soviet Russia's present plans for strengthening her air force give her superiority over Japan, the Army may have to draft a second and a third defence programme, the War Minister added.
Asked in the House of Peers if the War and Navy offers intended to unify their air branches. under an Air Ministry, Vice-Admiral M. Yonai Navy Minister, replied: "Such a merger we regard as desirable, but we could nut reach an agreement views on the subject. The project would be diMeult to realize under the present circumstances."
Gen Sugiyama assured the Peers that a merger of the War Office and the Admiralty is not being considered at_present.
'This step was advocated by Viscount K." Ohkoch!, Kenyukal, as certain to strengthen Japan's' defences, Viscount Ohkocht assailed Army interference in politics, and escribed as "insignificant" the Army's proposals to merge the istry of Communications with that of Railways, and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry with that of Agriculture and Forestry.
"It would be much more advisable," "to merge the War Office
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.