Perhaps the "Kokumin" furnished the sole exception to the generally conservative and rather relieved tone of this morning's editorial discussing the President Roosevelt's speech.
One minor point also was considered significant in that for nearly 12 hours after the text of the speech was received in Tokyo, not a line of comment appeared in the press. or ever the radio. after which a large volume of it. but containing little variety, was released in the press this morning—in other words, the editorials were prepared with unusual consideration and undoubtedly reflected more than the opinion of individual most pro-Axis of all metropolitan dailies,—loudpedallcd President Roosevelt's references of aid to Chiang Kai-shek and asserted, "Now that the United States has dared to reveal clearly its enmity against Japan. the United States must record the fact that Japan now finds herself in a position in which she is compelled to take all effective measures to cope with hostile threats" But all in all. even this must be considered rather a mild reply.
The "Kokumin" asserted that Japan could not look on with folded arms when the United States had revealed its identity as an enemy of the projected prosperity sphere in the Far East. definitely saw significance int the omissions rather than commissions vis-a-vis the Far East in President Roosevelt's speech and said, "President Roosevelt's silence in Pacific problems probably meant that he was actually not unduly concerned about the Pacific situation."
The "Asahi" stressed that President Roosevelt's demands for freedom of the seas, in the final analys: meant control of the high seas by the Fleets of the Anglo-Saxon Powers instead of some by the Ax The "Nichi-Nichi" merely said that President Roosevelt was continuing his attempts to fan wor-fever among Americans. while the "Chugai Shogyo Shimpo" likened the President to man raving about a distant fire which is not in the least endangering his own house Both papers scoffed at the fear that any country might attempt invasion of the Western Hemisphere. much less the United States mainland.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.