Reviewing the development o economic negotiations between Japan and the NEI, Mr. Koh Ishi.|Deputy Spokesman of the Inf-rra: tion Board, in a statement said while negotiations got under way between Tokyo, the Hague and Batavia the European war spread to the Netherlands in May 1940, when "the situ: tion was such that, since the Nether-ands Government moved to London and the economy of the N.EI. wes mobilized for war purposes, the economic relations between Japan and NEL were bound to be gravely affected,"
Accordingly, the statement recalled, the Japanese Government requested the Netherlands Goveznment in May last year to give an assurance to sup-it those important pected of the NEI, under the prevailing situation, In response to this, the Netherlands Government expressed its intention of actively cooperating with Japan by assuring that the economic relations of the N.EI with Japan would continue as smoothly as before, and confirming that such relations would be in harmony with the vital interests of the NEI. and would contribute toward peace and stability in East Asia.
On the basis of this agreement of views between Japan and the N.E. the statement continued, the Japa ese Government had conducted economic negotiations at Batavia since September last year, exerting the utmost efforts for an amicable conclusion,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.