The Japanese newspaper Tokyo Asahi Sjmboen reported in an item dated Tokyo 20 August that from the American West coast again 3 American and 2 Soviet tankers loaded with aviation spirit departed towards Vladivostok.(1) At San Francisco and Los Angeles were also tankers prepared to depart within some days. It was thought that the ships which were now departing would wait somewhere on the Pacific for the these ships and to continue their voyage collective to Vladivostok. The shipping world in San Francisco was according the Japanese newspaper anxious waiting for the Japanese reaction on this American aid for the Soviet Union.
In her edition dated 18 August published this newspaper an item that the Japanese newspaper Miyako Sjimboen reported from Los Angeles that there on 15 August a large American tanker loaded with aviation spirit towards the Soviet Union. According to rumours in the shipping world in this American harbour joined this tanker some other American tankers off the Californian coast and from there continue their voyage to Vladivostok escorted by American warships. Although it were not Japanese territorial waters was the Japanese opinion that the seas which surrounded Japan were neutral and of major importance for Japanese interests.
In her edition dated 8 September was again attention paid to this issue. The correspondent at Berlin for another Dutch newspaper at Berlin reported that German politics noticed that Japan didn’t interfere the passing of the first two large American through waters controlled by Japan underway towards Vladivostok. It was known that a third tanker was to arrive next week in Vladivostok but not what the destination of the by the USA announced fourth tanker was. It could be Vladivostok but also the Persian Gulf. Japan protested without success in Moscow and Washington against using this shipping route. It was however to be expected that Japan would protest again using these route and that she was forced to act as a result of being an ally of Germany.
In the morning editions of the newspaper Het Vaderland dated 23 and 30 August was also referred to these transports which worried the Japanese cabinet and which asked if there was another route to the Soviet Union to be used by the American ships. The newspapers Limburgsch Dagblad and Noordbrabantsch dagblad het huisgezin dated 21 August also reported on this issue.
Note
1. Japan declared the war on the USA on 7 December 1941 at the same time attacking the American naval base at Pearl Harbour followed by Italy and Germany on 11 December. Germany was at that moment in war with the Soviet Union started with the invasion on 22 June of the same year. Russia and Japan signed in 1941 a neutrality pact which was not broken by Japan despite being an ally of Germany as a result of the battle of Khalkhin Gol in 1939 with Russia which Japan lost. Russia however declared war on Japan and invaded Manchuria on 8 August 1945.
