LOOTING BY JAPANESE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 52, 29 January 1938, Page 9

LOOTING BY JAPANESE.

PROTESTS FROM AMERICA,

WASHINGTON, Jan. 27

The State Department has revealed that Mr J. C. Grew (Ambassador at Tokio) is protesting against the continued looting of American property in-China by Japanese regular troops. He questioned the good faith of Japanese assurances on which the Panay settlement was based.

Mr Grew, citing numerous instances of Japanese depredations, said: “My Government finds it impossible to reconcile the flagrant disregard of American rights with the assurances in the Note of December 24.”

The Washington correspondent of the New York Times says increasing irritation is felt by American officials over continued outrages against Americans. There is much questioning whether it is a result of a breakdown of discipline or a policy of studied terrorism intended to frighten foreigners from China. It is believed that Britain lodged a similar protest at Tokio. Officials fear some incident of major proportions may arise momentarily, involving substantial loss of American life with a resultant rise of popular indignation in America. They hope that continued protests, only a small part of w'hich have been published, may operate to halt the apparently unrestrained activities of Japanese soldiers 'before something of the kind occurs.