Counselling his ce-nationals against "undue optimism" regarding Japan's capacity for waging protracted hostilities, Mr. Tani declared there was no ground for pessimism.
"I believe," he was quoted as snying, "that between 60 and 70 per cent. of the money spent by Japan will eventually find its way back to Japan's coffers "Therefore, if the situation continues to develop along the present lines, we should entertain no apprehension even if the conflict should last additional three or five years more.
"The shortage of commodities in Japan now is of no consequence if it is compared with the situation in Germany during the Great War.
The growing demands among the Chinese people for the establishment Of a new regime in Central China, Mr. Tani was reported as saying, coincided with the desires of Japan and other foreign Powers.
"As the current sacred war aims at laying the foundation for the establishment of perpetual peace in the Orient, the entire Japanese nation must devote its energy to the achievement of the derided objective," Mr. Tani concluded.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.