Tokyo, May 27.
INCE it would be inipossible for the Netherlands East Indies to} adopt any policy in defiance of British wishes, the Japanese Government, despite the assurances given by the Netherlands as to the status quo of the islands, must act promptly to safeguard Japan's interests in the south-eastern Pacific, it is held, in business circles in Tokyo, says the "Japan Times."
Tokyo has been carefully watching developments in the East} Indies issue and the Japanese public, as one man, has been giving full support to the Government in strengthening internal solidarity on the matter.
In economic circles, the following view is being expressed, the paper declares "The expansion and intensification of the present war has caused the' belligerents to disregard the neutral ily of other Powers, and it has become Increasingly dificult to maintain a "hands-off" policy, In order to conserve war materials, the bel-Agerents are prohibiting of severely restricting the exports of important materials. from their countries and their colonies, while such neutrals a3, the United States are increasing their armaments at a feverish pace.
Trade Relations "The Soviet Union is actively en-' deavouring to import materials from Central Europe and the Near Eas Such neutrals are as anxious as the belligerents. to Increase their arm: ments, to lay in huge stock of mater!- als and. to augment their national strengths. Italy is now a nation on a wartime system, using all available materials for munition purposes.
"The importance of trade relations with the Netherlands East Indies and the United States to Japan is obvious such clreumstanees and it is only natural that the Japanese Govern ment and Navy should be resolved to protect Japan's trade rights In the East Indies, "The high-pressure arming of the Soviet Union and the United States. considered In conjunction with the fact that the European war believed likely to end sooner th pected, must persuade the Japanese Government that some prompt action 45 necessary to cope with the possible situation arising after the war, those circles declare. The vital question in this connection is a speedy completion of the East Asia economic confederacy comprising Japan, Manchukuo, China and South-Eastern Pacific.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.