Following intense inner-political pressure and the failure to comply with western demands for a peaceful settling of the conflict with China, Japanese prime minister Prince Konoye Fumimaro passed his seat over to his most ambitious competitor. General Hideki Tojo was elected by the majority of the Japanese parliament and installed as new prime minister of the Imperial Government by Emperor Hirohito on December 1^st.

Tojo as commanding officer of the Kwantung Army

But Tojo, the man who did oppose the idea of an increased commitment in China is certainly no less aggressive an anti-American than his predecessor Konoye. In his first official speech he demanded from the US government for an immediate stop of all embargoes, denouncement of US demands against the Imperial Government and cessation of American support for the Chinese. “The Flying Tigers are a declaration of war upon us”, he stated, adding “and the Japanese people have shown a lot of patience and goodwill by not taking the steps that any western government would have taken in such a case”.

Asked whether Japan will take a hostile stance towards America, Tojo stated ‘I see no reason to change our policies. We will reiterate negotiations with the war-monger Roosevelt and we shall see.’

JAPANESE PLANES ATTACK DUTCH CRUISER

The Royal Dutch government sent a task force of navy ships to investigate recent events in the Java sea where Japanese ships were said to have attacked Dutch merchant vessels. On 20 December they knew what the Japanese were up to. 50 km west of Sumatra, imperial dive and torpedo bombers attacked without warning the Cruisers De Zeven Provinzien, Java and De Ruyter, sinking the first one and damaging the latter two. Escort destroyers managed to avoid the aerial torpedoes and escaped into the open sea.

BRITISH TROOPS OCCUPY TANGIERS

In their first major success against the Spanish conquerors, British forces occupied the Spanish controlled city of Tangiers in Spanish Morocco. Earlier this year Spain had driven the British out of Gibraltar, giving control over the important fort that guards the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea. Now the English are about to establish an equivalent position on the opposite side of the straits in Northern Africa. Field Marshal Lord Gort stated in his press conference in London that a secure beachhead for an ‘Allied reconquest of Africa’ has been established in French and Spanish Morocco. According to him, the British and Free French Air Forces achieved air superiority in the theatre. Britain and France plan on a joint programme to extend the Algerian railroad system to Casablanca, the main supply harbor in the region.

STALIN REGAINS POWER

Stronger than ever, the Prime Minister again presides both the State and the Party

The short period of the Communist triumvirate is over again as Josef Stalin has replaced his co-rulers in the top positions of the Bolshevik empire. Transition of power is rumoured to have taken place already in November but secrecy has been laid over this event. It is assumed that Beriya, the former head of secret service and later head of state of the Soviet Union, as well as Marshal Tukhachevsky, secretary-general of the Communist Party, are arrested and awaiting trials, as well as hundreds of other persons surmised to be in league with the former. The December issue of the Pravda (‘Truth’) mentioned Stalin’s regain of absolute power on page 21. It is questionable whether the Russian people really know what is going on in this country when they have such informative and ‘truthful’ newspapers.

Stalin at his desk in the Kremlin (pic: Pravda)

FREE FRANCE HOLDS OUT ON BORDEAUX 

Spanish troops were reported this month to have attacked Bordeaux, the French coastal city still held by Free French forces. However the cautious attack of the Spanish was easily defeated by the French soldiers. ‘Where is the support of the Free World for Free France?’, asked Charles de Gaulle, chief of the Free French movement. According to General Giraud, many refugees and deserters from ‘Traitor France’ made their way to Bordeaux to join in the defence of the last ‘Free City of France’. During the past months they have been reequipped with arms shipped in from the colonies. Civilians helped erecting barricades on the outskirts, the Garonne has been mined by French ships.

PALESTINIAN IRREGULARS PILLAGE AKABA

The violent movement called ‘Palestinian Liberty Army’ attacked the British Middle East port of Akaba and rampantly raged over the town. 17 Americans and 46 British citizens were killed, including the governor of the city, Sir Malcolm McMahon. British troops soon thereafter avenged the brutal bloodshed, driving back the Arabs into the desert.

NORWAY ELECTS IN JANUARY

After the crisis with the Norwegian Government last month, head of state King Haakon agreed to call out a new election for parliament. On the 6^th of January, a holiday, 4 million Norwegians are called for voting. The risk of the ultra-national movement of Vidkun Quisling, an admirer of Adolf Hitler and his National-Socialist Party, is large. The current minority governement of conservatives has secured the support of the King, who publicly stated that he wished ‘no radical changes’ in the country.

ITALIAN SUBMARINES ATTACK FRENCH SHIPS 

Italy engaged in a senseless merchant warfare against France this month. Submarines of the Malaspina class attacked cargoes with colonial wares, food and clothing running from the West Indies to Algeria. Just before the straits of Gibraltar the Italians torpedoed 20 of them without warning. Escorts heading for their rescue were, too, attacked by the resourceful Italian boats. After three French cruisers sunk due to multiple torpedo hits, the remaining French ships chased the attackers. As the Free French Navy reports, all to the bottom of the ocean.

Heavy Cruiser Suffren (archive picture) sunk by Italian submarines near the starits of Gibraltar