Tokyo, Jan. 18.
BAR-ADMIRAL Kanazawa, the Navy Ministry's spokesman, at his first interview of the New Year with foreign news correspondents this morning, said he expects that the Chinese "big three," that is; Mr. Wang Ching-wei, who will, head the new central Chinese government, Chairman Liang of the present Nanking regime, and Chairman Wang. Keh-min of the Peiping regime, will'hold their long-expected conference towards the end of this month.
Speaking of the lifting of Japanese military restrictions in China, he first pointed out that at Tsingtao, such restrictions have been partially removed, due to relaxation of military necessities on the part of the Japanese forces. Turning to the Yangtze, the Navy spokesman declared that the Japanese authorities are hurrying their preparations to open up this river to foreign traffic, as far es Nanking.
"The date has not yet been fixed for the actual opening," he said, "but we are doing our best to speed the matter up."
The admiral went on to say that "naturally it takes some time to repair wharves and other equipment, og well as the vessels belonging to Third Power interests which were requisitioned for military use by the Japanese forces: these must be reconditioned by us before they are returned to their owners, and this cannot be done in a day or so."
The spokesman said he wanted to emi once more that Japan: did, t. hnnounee she was going to reopen the Yangtze for the purpose of making a bargain with the United States or any other country "We Japanese have no such mean, stingy ideas," he stated. With regard to Pearl River, Admiral Kanazawa said, progress is being made in the preparations for re-opening that waterway also. He pointed out, however that even at the present time traffic is proceeding on that river, thougt with some restrictions.
The spokesman said he thought.' judging by past standards, that it will be British interests, among third powers, who will benefit most by the re-opening of the Yangtze. This would seem to be confirmed, he said, by the fact that the British Prime Minister, Mr. Neville Chamberlain, in a recent speech, commented very appredatively on Japan's action. He added that American interests and those of some other powers should naturally get some benefit from the restoration of traffic on the big river.
War Supplies Through Indo-China Turning to the question of the passage of-war supplies destined for Gen. Chiang Kai-shek's forces through French Indo-China, the Nav: spokesman regretted that not much progress has been made toward putting a stop to this traffic, in thei Japanese negotiations with the French Government, As fares the French protest against the bombing of the Yunnan-Indo-China Railway by Japanese naval planes is concerned, he said. the Japanese view is that this protest is untenable, because Japan contends that the attacks have been due to strategic necessity, due to the passage of war supplies for the enemy of Japan over that railway. Moreover, he said, Japan will be obliged to continue these attacks on the railway until this arms traffic is actually stopped.
"You may not believe it, coming from our side," the admiral said. "but the fact is that plenty of such war supplies have been passing over trouble in passing through the Panama Canal, can be overcome."
Asked whether he would regard such warships as offensive or defensive, Admiral Kanazawa expressed the opinion that they would prove magnificent defences, partaking of the character of the big guns in land fortifications, and when in movement they. would be equally great offensive weapons, capable of putting forth very aggressive effort. H Commenting on the discussion that has been proceeding lately in the United States about the present comparative ratio in naval strength between America and Japan, the admiral said that, speaking not officially but giving his own opinion based on the common sense views of a naval officer, the fact is that naval ratios are not constant, so it is not practicable to hazard a statement as to what the ratio is between Japan and the United States, The ratio changes, he said, when naval strength is concentrated in one part or another of the Pacific, for example. (The admiral evidently had in, mind the frequent shifting of the American fleet up and down the Pacific Coast, and specially out to Hawaii and mid-Pacific, as well as movements of part or all of the fleet through the Panama Canal to Atlantic waters). Unknown changes also take place, he pointed out, when various new technical installations are made in Japanese or American warships.
The Pacific is a vast ocean, Admiral Kanazewa concluded, on which many things may take place, and to estimate the naval ratio between the great nations bordering it, that is, Japan and the United States, is too difficult a matter,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.