Mito, Apr. 1 Japan's contention that the Netherlands East Indies should be kept out of the European. hostilities, in case Holland should become involved in war, was upheld here last night by Vice-Admiral Zengo Yoshida, Minis ter of the Navy.
The statement issued on Monday by Mr. Hachiro Arita, Foreign Minis~ ter, expressing Japan's "deep concern" for the fate of the NEI. in ease the European war should spread further, was "Just on moral grounds,"
s-Amiral Yoshida said.
The declaration, he continued, con~ stituted only a clarification of Japan's attitude towards the South Sea region, including Holland's Far East fern possessions, because it was Japan's policy to prevent the Euro~ pean war from spreading. to the "Should the hostilities in Europe be extended to the Netherlands and produce a repercussion, as you say, in the Netherlands East Indies, it would not only interfere with the maintenance and the furtherance of the above-mentioned relations of economfe interdependence, s0-exist~ ence and ce-operation, but it would create an unfortunate situation from the viewpoint of the maintenance of Peace and the stability of East, Asis, The Japanese Government," Mr, Arita stated, "cannot but manifest its deep concern towards the cre tion of, a situation which may bring about a change in the status of the Netherlands East Indies as a con~ sequence of the aggravation of the war in, Europe."
Meeting in an extraordinary ses sion, the Cabinet was understood to have reaffirmed its policy of non~ involvement in the\'European con-ict, but, at the same time, agreed lupoh the need to clarify " Japan's Interest in preventing the spread of the European conflict to the western
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