On the other and, there is no isnot universal Establishment of Safety Zone uly 4.
Japan is considering. exabllshment of a "safety zone or boundaries for Japanese territorial waters, Me. Koh hil, 'Deputy. Spokesman of the Esdint formation Board, sia Str, Ihit's disclosure came' tare sponse to. queries from foreign cor-Feopondents regarding" possibly fheUnited States shipping ald newspapers earlier had pointed. out thas "American. shipments, must {rough Sapanese tentorial waters, thus posilbly provoking. an indent with Japan.
Asked if the Japanese Government bad such a thing aga three mile, 12 mile or 300 mile limit on Japanese territorial waters Mr. Ishii replied that "is would be convenient to follow the American example in dealing vostok). with American shipments (to Viadi-
The Japanese government" is now Aiscussing the question of territorial waters," Mfr, Ishii told correspondents, Regarding American aid to Soviet Russia, Mr. Ishii said that "we must walt and see if the United States sends munitions to the Soviet Union, via Vladivostok to ald the latter, The Government is watching the situation with rear concern."
Mr. Ishii said he had no informa. upheaval his country cannot remain motionless and thai, whether she wants to or not, Japan is irresistibly drawn Into the whirlpool of action.
This again raises the question of whether she will move northward oF southward, There are arguments in favour of both, for never has Japan had such a golden opportunity to thwart "the dagger pointed at her heart" that Vladivostok is, nor has she ever had a better chance to resume her southward drive, now that the German-Soviet war has removed the threat "which has. hung over Manchoukuo's borders for the past few years, However, should" instinct weigh over logic the northward drive'would prove the choice, Ever since Sunday, June 22, the day of the out. break of the Soviet-German war, all Japanese eyes have been turned to the north, Public opinion is remind~ Japan's victory over Russia in 1905, At the same time, there springs to tind the ever-present idea that the task of the victors of 1905 has never been completed, Enthusiasm for North In other words, a northward thrust would rouse the enthusiasm of the whole Japanese people, a southward drive would do nothing'to remove the veil of apathy which has surrounded the Japanese for the past three years, an's leaders, however, are of so sanguine. They believe that Soviet Russia may prove a hard nut to crack for the Reich. Even should the Red Army suddenly collapse, there 1s always the possibility of continued resistance in the vast expanse of Siberia, Another fact likely to act asa damper to any hot-headed decisions is that there are still 40 Soviet divisions massed along the borders of Manchoukuo, none of them having been transferred to the west, To attack Russia despite all these factors would necessitate a huge num. ber of reserve troops and, according to all accounts, Japan would not be able to muster a suflelent number reserves without withdrawing, part of her armies now' fighting in China,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.