1941-03-05 — Page 1

Wears

MOPPING UP IN

UP IN SOMALILAND Sge 3 FIRSTE

RICKSHAW

BRAND CEYLON TEA

CHINA MAIL

FIRST NEWSPAPER IN THE FAR EAST. ESTABLISHED 1845.

No. 32.088

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 1941

Price: 10 cts.

INSIST ON

Daisy Brand

Australia's Choicest

BUTTER

SOVIET CRITICAL OF

BULGARIA MOVE

Speculation EFFORT

In London TO CLEAR

NAZI

JAPAN

NAZIS REPORT

BRITISH BREAK

ASKS FOR WITH BULGARIA

FINAL REPLY

Mr. Matsuoka, the Jap- anese Foreign Minister, is reported to have asked Vichy to give à final rezly| to the Japanese med- tion proposals by noon! to-day.

The truce in the frontier between Thai and

ends on Friday.

war

Indo-China

MR. MATSUOKA'S REQUEST,

IT IS STATED, WAS

WHEN HE SAW LAST M. ARSENE HENRI,

FRENCH AMBASSADOR.

MADE NIGHT THE

M. Henri is stated to have been non-committal in attitude towards the plan which prc- viously was reported to have been accepted "in principle" by the French Government.-Reu- ter.

SIGN OF AXIS

The German radio announced last night that diplomatic rela- tions between Britain and Bulgaria have been severed."

The British Minis- ter, Mr. George Ren- del, was reported to be leaving Bulgaria

OS

soon as final arrange- ments for his depar- ture are made.---Reu- ter.

Japan's Oceania

Claims

The speech by the Jap- anese Foreign Minister, Mr. Matsuoka, last week, in which he was reported as stating that "the white races must cede

ANXIETY Oceania to the Asiatics,"

"The German occupa- tion of Bulgaria cannot affect the final issue nor] change the course of events," the Ankara radio stated last night.

It added: "The Axis move in the Balkans has conclusively proved the contention that the Axls pow ers have not the courage to attack Great Britain directly.

on

"It may be that at the cost of great sacrifice this attack Great Britain will be attempted. but its success is regarded, even in Axis circles, "a# extremely dubious.

"Were the Axis partners sure of success in this direction they would not seek to shift the scene of operations into another thea-| tre of war."--Reuter.

BIG INCREASE IN U.S. NAVY

Legislation that would increase

THE IMPORTANT STATEMENT BROAD- CAST FROM MOSCOW IN REGARD TO THE GERMAN OCCUPATION OF BULGARIA HAS GIVEN RISE TO MUCH COMMENT IN DIPLO- MATIC QUARTERS IN LONDON, REUTER'S DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT LEARNS.

There is nothing, however, to suggest it means more than it says, namely, that the So- viet Government does not share the views of the Bulgarian Government that its attitude will lead to the preservation of peace.

Gov-

Consequently the Soviet ernment is unable to support the Bulgarian Government in the pro- secution of its present policy.

It is an obvious rebuke to the

Government of Bulgaria and gives a contradiction those Bulgarian

were spreading

Russia was In full

papers

to

which reports that agreement

with the latest developments.

It must be recalled that the Bul- garian Prime Minister, in his speech at Vienna in signing

Tripartite Pact.

reaffirmed

further

the

his

the

resolve to develop traditional friendly relations with the Soviet Union.

Not Mollified

ally was ignored by Ribbentrop in his reply, does not seem to have mollified Moscow in any way.

This statement, which incident-

un-

Significant nature of the broadcast is that it was renewed in several languages and on more than one occasion, More will have to be known of has provoked a long state-the true circumstances and ment

the from the Domel derlying motives of Soviet statement before any considered judgment would be possible so far as British quarters are concerned. Nazis Blamed

news agency.

The agency says the speech was misunderstood abroad and that there was nothing aggressive in Mr. Matsuoka's speech.

It is clear that an opportunity It also says that Mr, Maluoka's has been taken in the statement actual words were: "It is my to underline the Soviet's attitude consistent Intention that the white of non-involvement in the strug- races should give the Japanesegle and her desire that operations | and other Asiatic races a chance should not be extended. to emigrate to and develop Oceania at least."-Reuter.

Raid On Calais

Coastal Command air-

A small force of British

"

BY IMPLICATION, BLAME FOR THE SPREAD OF THE CONFLICT HAS BEEN PUT ON THE GERMANS' SHOULDERS, AS THE STATEMENT CLEARLY IMPLIES THAT THE OCCUPA- TION OF BULGARIA IS AN EXTENSION OF OPERATIONS. -REUTER.

ARTILLERY BATTLE

IN ALBANIA Intense artillery action on the craft successfully attack- Albanian front was reported by ed docks and railway sid- Athens radio yesterday, ings at Calais on Monday An Italian tank was hit by night, says the Air Minis- names, the crew being killed. try.

Greck "gunfire and burst into

Reuter,

the U.S. Navy's enlisted personnel immediately to 282,000 and au- thorise the Président to acquire. 200,000 tons of auxillary vessels for national "defence, was intro Yesterday, and aircraft of the Devon coast on Monday, and two Coastal Command while on patrol were shot down during the night." attacked an aerodrome near Brestone by anti-aircraft fire at Cardiff' and shot down ari enomy fighter and the other by British fighters Confirmation / was atcoro-over an aerodrome in northern ceived yesterday of the destruc-Françe.

duced by Mr. Carl Vinson, Chair- man of the House of Representa- lyes Naval Affairs Committes, yesterday.

The Bill would also authorise the President to raise the number of men enlisted to 300,000 nt his AllSCIERON, T-Reuters

tion of four enemy alcoraft inA fourth (a. 'fighter), was shot recent operations, i.

down by a bomber, over.

Bomber crashed off the many. Reuter.

50 JAPANESE WARSHIPS PASS SOUTH

Some 50 Japanese warships passed Hong Kong on Sunday pro- ceeding south towards Hainan Island accord- ing to delayed reports.

MORE ITALIANS ARRIVE IN INDIA

A further 6,700 Italian prison- ers of war have been landed in Bombay in the last two days.

The total now in India exceeds 32,000.-Reuter.

HAVE

FAREAST

AIR

For the second time in a fortnight Mr. Winston Churchill last night re- ceived Mr. Mamoru Shige- mitsu, the Japanese Am- bassador.

FOLLOWING THEIR 30- MINUTES' CONVERSATION IT WAS UNDERSTOOD IN WELL- INFORMED QUARTERS THAT THE TALK GREATLY CLARI-" FIED THE AIR AND HAS RE- VEALED THAT GENERAL PRO- BLEMS IN THE FAR EAST ARE

ΤΟ RESPONSIVE

UNDER- STANDING TREATMENT, LEARNS REUTER'S DIPLOMA- TIC CORRESPONDENT.

Mr. Shigemitsu handed Mr. Churchill a communication from. Mr. Matsuoka, the Japanese Foreign Minister.

It will be recalled that Mr. Matsuoka sent a direct message to Mr. Churchill, to which the latter replied on Monday, February 24.

Mr. Matsuoka has now sent a response to Mr. Churchill's ob-` servations.

The conversations yesterday were therefore a continuation of the talks which have been pro- ceeding for some time.—Reuter.·

AN H. B.-

HB

AND THEN TRY!