THE CHINA MAIL, OCTOBER 8, 1940.
CHINA MAIL
WINDSOR HOUSI
JAPAN AND U.S.A.
The outstanding and unicom- promising statement made by Col. Knox, the Republican Secretary of Navy in Mr. Roosevelt's Cabinet puts the immediate issue quite clearly before the Japanese peo- ple. Each nation has now warn- ́ed" the other. Matsuoka in an in-- terview, which conveyed the view of the Japanese Government at the moment, stated that war with the United States was inevitable if the latter insisted' upon the status quo and did not recognise Japan's claim to dominate the Far East. The foreign minister dis- claimed responsibility. for the statement which was made to a representative of "Liberty" and conveyed through the Interna- tional News Service to the public apparently before it had been initialed by the foreign minister.
The secret clauses in the new pact offer Japan the Netherlands East Indies if she will declare war against Britain, and promises are made to bring about an under- standing with China favourable to Japan and also with Russia.
on
equal terms. These generous gifts will cost Germany nothing, seeing that the chief one is not hers to make but they will cost Japan a good deal.
at
Germany must have assistance
all costs and is malting the wildest promises because of the incontestable and irrefutable fact that her prestige has suffered its first serious blow since the war began by the failure to make good Hitler's boast about the invasion of Britain, Russia is being wooed. Spain is being urged to throw in her lot, but only Japan has yield- ed to this urgent call for help. Japan has much to gain if she can make good her claim by her naval power, but still more to lose if she fails in her ambitious role.
Industrially the full weight of the United States is already on the side of Britain though it has not yet reached its maximum out- put. It is because America is in the throes of a presidential. elec- tion, and because the full measure of her rearmament will not be felt
for some time that the Axis pow
Page. 7,
GREECE
ANYBODY LOOKING ?
How I Escaped From
Nazis
ers think that the present moment' Leaving Amsterdam was easy
.a
By
Lieut. Leonard' RODRIGUES
5th Regt.. Dutch Artillery-
I and two Englishmen, one a soldier, and the other a civilian, arranged an escape by boat. We found a boat with oars on the beach. But it was hard to get away, as along the entire coast from Dunkirk to Boulogne there were two sentries every five hun
maintained is most opportune for challenging by
dred yards who train for the frontier town. the United States.
And I simply walked across the watch day und: night. Japan has linked her fortunes frontier in the dark without see- One dark night we pushed the audibly: "Po lil Holland. Po lil with Germany and Italy, and asing a single guard:
boat to the water's edge and then Holland." the future of the Pacific is depen-
In Brussels I stayed with friends drew lots to see who should go Yet I think "Po lil Holland" will dent on the issue in Europe, it is and heard that the Germans were and get food: A Frenchman had prove the most difficult of all the obvious that Japan must do all looking for chauffeurs to drive promised to bring some, but not occupied countries for the Nazis. in her power to help the Axis to requisitioned motor-lorries with turned up. I lost, and this saved to handle, for we Dutch are rug victory. Her statesmen have said troops to France. that a German victory is essential I was paid ten marks daily, that As I came back with the food. I to: Japan's continued existence as is to say. the equivalent of two lay among the sand dunes and saw a power in the Far East. If Ger- hundred French francs, and given my two comrades being inter- many fails them Japan's retreat plenty of food and cigarettes. rogated. Then the sentries- pushed from the positions she has, taken Every group of ten or twelve the soldier aside and shot him. up will be more rapid than her German soldiers had a spokesman I told him earlier to tear up his advance. Unfortunately for Japan who appeared to have the job of military papers, but he would not, a victory for the British Empire pep talker: --- something on the saying he might be shot as a spy in the European struggle is equal-lines of the political commissar of ly necessary for the preservation the Soviet Army, although he was
of the American way of life, only an ordinary soldier These Japan therefore can only re- men held forth to their fellows and main out of the struggle it Ger- listeners, explaining that: the wate many and Italy are succeeding in would be over by the middle of their aims, and if the United August, for they would quickly States is willing to connive at launch an attack against. Britain; Japanese expansion. The indica-and-all would be back, at-home by tions are that neither of these the end-of; August:
my life,
ged, single-minded people, singu- larly resistant to any kind of pro- paganda...
left behind when
the rest left.
Finally he returned to his post in a Dutch factory and I believe he was not molested:
✡
Some industries are being closed down, on the pretext that Ger many can supply these goods. The Dutch, are encouraged to produce eggs, butter, potatoes and other vegetables and fruit.
One of the first things the Nazis did after arriving was to buy and send to the Reich all early veget ables and fruit.
Philips's: radio: factory is run- nlng normally. The Fokker and Ford works have been taken over by the Germans.
To-day the majority of Dutch Many thousands I was- told- ore absolutely determined that 8,000 or 10,000-of young Ger- they won't remain under German, mans being trained as airmen are control. But there is a minority now in Holland. It is interesting who say: "Well, Britain left us in to note that such large numbers the lurch, and we might just as of new German aviators are be
ing trained.
And This Is What I Left
two assumptions is valid, and Some soldiers looked pretty therefore Japan must attempt to sceptical, but: they never opened on landing in England. He was make good. her claims to, hege- their mouths. Many of them seem such a nice young man, only, nine mony in the Far East by engaged very tired of being in the army teen ing in war on sea. She is already and some: told me that they had The Germans took thozelvfliårt involved on land, and in that not been home for two years. They away a prisoner, leaving the sol sphere she has not gained any were excellently equipped and uleris body on the beach. I crawled great success and certattily no de- never walked anywhere, always away as fast as I could, feeling cisive victory: At the moment she moving. in motor-trucks.. is reduced to bombing cities, she
Very sick. cannot capture; ·
1.
After a week of driving a lorry It is often said that economics I slipped away at Gravelines and have nothing whatever to do with walked down to Caltis. war, that the capacity of a nation
0
When I got back to Calals I found the Germans had organised a refuges, train, fort they did. not want a floating population watch
Q
་
Almost every“ night R.A.F. 'planes drone over Amsterdam on their way to Western Germany, but they are very high, and Ger- man AA guns don't shoot. The black-out prevails, but unlike France and Belgium here is no curfew, so that cafes and cabarets go on as usual. Some cabaretă are forbidden . German soldiers'
well save ourselves trouble and l. Some Jewish: quarters are also accept whatever our powerful forbidden to German soldiers, ap- neighbours offer us.”
parently in order to avoid?". în” Unfortunately, the first group cidents. has been rather weakened by the One of the most awful sights of resentment felt against the House the brief war witnessed by a of Orange.
friend of mine, was the spectacle Only a few days before the in- of 30,000! Jews, including, many vasion, the Dutch were cheered Germans, who waited at Ymulden and thrilled by the Queen's, an- hoping to get off in the Dutch:liner: swer to an invitation to
go to JP. Coen, but British naval meri America: "A Dutch Queen's place took the liner and sank Her in or to continue the struggle is, depen-thought to a far less degree: she ingethe endless gun emplátemerits
is with her own people."
der to block, the port. The despair dent on the will of the nation has stored rubber, oil and scrap they were preparing along. the pured for her departure: No effort. Many opened veins, others.
They were not in any way pre of the Jews was terrible rather than, on its, wealth,
metal, but 3 years of war in China | coast. This obviously is not true. Ger- has helped to deplete her
was made to explain that this jumped off the pier and drowned re- We went through Amiens. It was meant the preservation of Hol themselves, when they first saw many. In the last war was anally sources, while her trade with a nightmare on June 13. The land's independence.
the German troops. Actually, the brought to her knees by the rigid Europe has been very much re-streets were littered with bodies.
Germans have ignored the Jews blockade imposed by the British duced owing-to the European war In Paris Ijoined forces÷with a All the arts of Dr. Goebbels are so far. Návy,, and, the proof of that is to What trade remains is chiefly Briton, and, we set off for Mar- being turned on Holland to-day. Some German refugees, who be seen in Germany's post war with the United States: to whom seilles. We crossed the "frontier" Every newspaper has a German couldn't stand the strain of, wait- bconomic, system, which aimed at she exports a third it value of into, unoccupied territory, by the chief editor in its office.
Ing in Amsterdam, went to the autarchy, or being independent of her tótùl and from whom she im-simple process, of walking; fast out Jewish journalists were dismiss-Gestapo, and reported, but were foreign supplies from overseas ports one quarter of her total. If on to the bridge across the Loirced by telephone after the Germans told that the Germans were not altogether. That is why her Japan came to terms with Russia while a sentry looked the other came in. The "Handelsblad" gave interested in them chemists were set the task of find- she might draw some supplies from way. He called us backs, but while them two months' pay. I don't ing substitutės for all such Vladivostole, but they would not, we were retracing, our steps know what the rest did..
As an artilleryman in the Dutch materials:
even if Russia was most accom-motor-lorry came along which the Curiously enough there are still | Army. In the Amersfoort. sector The self-contained or nearly modating; compensate for the loss sentry had to halt:
two Jewish radio speakers, Just near the Zuyder Zee, I saw many self-contained units in the world of trade elsewhere. A war with So we turned again; and raced before the invasion the Dutch, to parachutists come: down. I, took are the United States, the British tho. United States would practical to the other side; reaching: safety: avoid confusion from outside part in the capture of eighteen. Empire, Russia and to a lesser ly isolate Japan economically and After that, going, easy, I reached radio transmitters pretending to They were quite helpless as we degree Germany-which at the mo- throw. her back on her accumu-Lisbon.
be Dutch, "picked three speakers trained a machine-gun on them ment controls the economic ro-lated supplies and on what sho
and, made their voices thoroughly as, they, floated, down, and could sources-of-Europe,
can extract" from: Manchuria, and: My last recollection: of Amster- familiar to Duten listeners. The only surrender. If they came Jupan is not in that category, China, but the fact! that she is so dam, as I walked down the Kal-Germans kept them on..
down where there were no troops She is not dependent on foreign anxious to get into the Dutch East verstraat on the way to thơ, sta- It is forbidden to listen to for? | theydtig themselves in,and it was trade for her food supplies that is Indles, and is very perturbed tion to begin my six weeks) trekt eign radios, though many do. But hard to find them. * true; but, for her manufacturing about rubber; oll, cotton and to liberty, is of meeting an Ameri- | the few B.B.C. Broadcasts in Dutch The German, statement this plants she must secure the raw scrap metal proves that her econo- can negro drummer from a jazz I listened to didn't seem quite to fewer than seven Hundred civi- material from foreign countries nie. position: is: precarious. On handrat Hecks Cafe.
meet the situation.
Jans were killed in Rotterdam is to produce the essential weapons the face of it n war with the He was rather the worse for There are still a few British in nonsense? Tens of thousands were * of war" She must trade in order ¡United States would spell disaster | drink and weaving his way along Amsterdam. I was able to help killed. The centre of the town wab
10 live. No doubt, like Germany; for the Japanese Empire,
the street murmurings softly, but lone member of n-family: who was I destroyed,
"
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10
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