Salt Lake Telegram | 1941-03-24 | Page 2 | Matsuoka Pays Call on Stalin

MATSUOKA PAYS CALL ON 81 STALIN AllN MOSCOW March 24 INS INS INS- Japanese Foreign Minister Yosuke Matsuoka conferred Monday with Premier-Foreign Premier Commissar Vya- Vya cheslav M. M Molotov in the presence presence presence pres pres- ence of Josef Stalin head of the soviet state Stalin's presence at the history- history making meeting was regarded by neutral political observers as an indication that questions of major major major ma ma- jor importance may have been discussed was known to be anxious to lay the groundwork for a definite soviet-Japanese soviet un un- un- un But before today's meeting it was explained that he would make merely the courtesy required by protocol on the soviet officials There were no immediate details details details de de- de- de tails or announcements concerning concerning concerning concern concern- ing the meeting of the three powerful powerful powerful pow pow- erful leaders Matsuoka who has earned a reputation for more or less frank talking in the occidental manner was given a rare opportunity for plain talk concerning the chances of f a soviet-Japanese soviet understand understand- I ing mg I Japan is already one of the three major members of the axis alliance while Russia and Germany Germany Germany Ger Ger- many are signatories to a pact of friendship A soviet-Japanese soviet rapprochement at this time would link Japan also to the Russo- Russo German and secure Ja Japans Japan's Japans Japan's Japans Japan's Ja- Ja pans pan's frontier Japan thus would have more freedom to move to the south while Russia likewise would be able to divert her attention from the Japanese in to other spheres