Permit me to express my deep appreciation for the honour given me by His Excellency Dr. Ba Han, His Excellency Ambassador Thein Maung, as well as the other Excellencies and Gentlemen who have so kindly graced this occasion of welcoming H. E. the head of the Burmese Special Research Commission and his distinguished party who were recently despatched all the way to this country upon the special instructions of the Head of the Burmese State, H. E. Ba Maw. I am doubly appreciative of this high honour, because I know that Your Excellencies have done so in spite of the heavy pressure of engagements in official and urgent affairs of State.
H.E. Dr. Ba Han, our guest of honour, is as Your Excellencies all know, the elder brother of the Burmese Head of State. He has for long years held very high positions in academic circles of his country and is one of the leading statesmen who are at present contributing so much to the establishment of the new Burmese State. The other members of the commission, Their Excellencies U So Nyun and U Ba Nyein, both hold high positions in the governmental service of Burma and represent the younger generation of conscientious public officials of that country who are at present devoting so much of their efforts to the noble task of building up the new nation. I have been given to understand that the Special Research Commission composed of such brilliant talents have come to visit not only this country, but the other countries of greater East Asia in order to conduct studies and research in accordance with a well drawn up programme to the end, and that, upon return, it may present its findings to the State to serve as valuable material for the advancement and governance of Burma in addition to the more immediate objective of proper prosecution of the present common war. I place particular significance to the dispatch of this commission, because it is an eloquent proof of the enthusiasm and seriousness shown by the Head of the State, as well as the people of Burma toward the building up of their nation, and I wish to take this opportunity to tender to them my profound respect and admiration and express to all the great encouragement we feel in this act on the part of the Burmese State.
We are all cognizant of the fact that the creation and building up of a new nation in the midst of gunfire and devastation is no easy task and for this reason we fully appreciate how important and far-reaching is the mission of H.E. Dr. Ba Han in contributing to the successful culmination of this epochal and superhuman task. In view of the transcendental nature of the problem now confronting our Burmese friends and collaborators, we have endeavoured to co-operate closely with and to place all our facillities [sic] at the disposal of the commission in order to insure complete success of its mission. We are very happy to note that the various Ministries, as well as other government and private organizations have, on their part, extended their wholehearted and unstinted support in this same direction.
On the part of the members of the commission, I am fully confident that they have seen and felt, in the course of their research and inspection, the determination as well as the strength the Japanese nation possesses in the victorious prosecution of this war and the successful establishment of the co-prosperity sphere. We, in this country, on our part, have always entertained the highest respect and deepest admiration for the heroism and stamina shown by the people of Burma in meeting the Anglo-American foes on the very first fighting line of this war, putting up a heroic struggle, day in and day out, throwing in every ounce of the concerted and determined effort of the entire nation. May I make a special request on this occasion of Their Excellencies of the Special Research Commission that, upon return to their country, they will convey to all sections of their countrymen in and out of the Government the unflinching determination and fiery spirit of the 100,000,000 people of Japan, who, firmly united around the Imperial Throne at the centre and as their guiding star, have consecrated their concerted efforts to surmount all obstacles placed in their path in the headlong march toward ultimate victory and by so doing have strengthened all the more, the close ties of amity and unity now existing between Burma and Japan to the end that the two peoples may attain hand in hand the glorious culmination of our common aims and aspirations.
In closing my brief address of welcome, I wish to propose a toast to the health and success of H. E. the head of the Special Research Commission.