March 7.
While nothing has been divulged officially concerning. the two interviews which Mr. Mamoru Shigemitsu, Japanese Ambassador to Great Britain, had recently with Mr. Winston Churchill, an interesting report emanates from Washington which has about itali the elements of probability. According tothe account available there Mr. Shige mitsu is reported to have emphasized that Japan does not want an extension of the European war to the Pacific, and- does not threaten British interests, Whether that is s0 or not, itis stated that Mr. Churchill lett him in mo doubt as to the consequences it, those interests ware threatened, and it was. made clear that Britain must and would be 4 the judge of what those interests were, and when they would be considered menaced, "In other words the British Prime Minister made it quite plain that it is for Japan to decide by whatever action she takes when" ther the war is to spread to the Pacifte or not, One commentator "declares that Washington was informed of what Mr. Churchill was doing, and that the American Government was in agreement with what Britain way doing. That, however, 1s not confirmed, but the two countries have been following parallel policies in the Pacife so closely that it would indeed be strange If this were not the ease.
If the recent declarations of Mr. Menzies, 'Australian Premier, concerning Australian relations with Japan were taken by some to bbe something in the nature of an indication of British weakness in the Pacific, the conversations between Mr. Churchill' and Mr, Shigemitsu should serve to clear up that particular misunderstanding. © The day of appeasement has passed, The, time for frank talking has come, and Mr." Churchill has apparently taken advantage of that fact to leave in the mind of the Japanese Govern~
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.