JAPAN: More Loot

Cried the Tokyo radio: Marshal Pietro Badoglio committed “a glowing act of treason against the tripartite pact,” but Japan and Germany were preparedfor just such an incident. And so, said an official government statement, Japan”has taken measures considered necessary after consideration of all eventualities.” The “measures”: all Italian interests in the Far East, specifically:

—The Italian Concession in Tientsin.

—The Italian Bank for China.

—Italy’s place on the Shanghai Municipal Council.

—Italian ships caught in Jap harbors and seas. (Probably fewer than 30 were in Far Eastern waters and, by Jap reports, the Italians must have tried to scuttle them all. In Shanghai, the liner Conte Verde and the mine layer Lepanto were successfully sunk; Domei admitted that the Italians had damaged seven warships and twelve merchant ships.)

The Italian Legation guard in Peiping and small Italian garrisons in Tientsin and Shanhaikwan were disarmed. The Italian diplomatic mission in Tokyo was confined to its quarters and held incommunicado. The bulk of the 1,100 Italian nationals in the Far East, of whom almost 900 are in Shanghai, were interned or placed under guard, and must register their assets and list their properties with Japanese military authorities.