BRITAIN & JAPAN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 July 1940, Page 6

BRITAIN & JAPAN

QUESTION OF THE BURMA ROUTE REPORTED CONTENTION. COMMITMENTS TO BURMA AND INDIA. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) (Recevied This Day, 9.40 a.mJ TOKIO. July 8. It is authoritatively stated that Britain has asserted that closure of the Burma route is incompatible with Britain’s commitments to Burma and India. REPLY PRESENTED REPORT NOT YET RECEIVED IN LONDON. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Dav. 11.10 a.m.) , RUGBY. July 8. The British Ambassador to Japan (Sir R. Craigie) delivered in Tokio today the British reply to the. recent representations. Sir R. Craigie's report of his interview with Mr Arita (Japanese Foreign Minister) has not yet been received in London, but any observations which Mr Arita may have put forward will receive the same careful consideration as the original representations. TALK OF CONCESSION BAN ON HONG KONG WAR EXPORTS. JAPANESE NOT SATISFIED. (Received This Day, 10.50 a.m.) TOKIO, July 8. Mr Gaimusho, of the Foreign Office, issued a statement that Sir R. Craigie visited Mr Arita and replied that the export of military supplies through Hong Kong will be prohibited, which Britain believes will meet the Japanese demands. He said it was difficult to prohibit legal trade by the Burma Road. Moreover the rainy season begins at the end of June, which likely to result in a very heavy slump in the transit of goods over this route. Mr Gaimusho described the reply as unsatisfactory. Mr Arita expressed dissatisfaction, emphatically reiterated the Japanese view and urged Britain to reconsider her reply. CHANGE OF ATTITUDE NEW THREAT TO INDO-CHINA. (Received This Day, 10.50 a.m.) SHANGHAI. July 8. The Domei News Agency states that Japan may be forced to change her attitude to Indo-China, due to her alleged continued transport of supplies to Chungking. SERIOUS INCIDENT THREATENED BY JAPANESE ARMY. OVER ARRESTS BY AMERICAN MARINES. (Received This Day. 10.50 a.m.) SHANGHAI. July 8. The Japanese Army is threatenening a serious incident over the arrest of 16 armed Japanese plainclothes men by United States , Marines. The Japanese entered the defence sector of the International Settlement, violating the agreement. They were released after a Japanese apology. The matter was believed to have been settled, but the Japanese deny the apology and charges the marines with assaulting several prisoners and with having treated all of them like condemned criminals. CHINESE PEOPLE DETERMINED TO CONTINUE TO RESIST DECLARATION BY CHIANG KAI-SHEK. (Received This Day, 11.15 a.m.) CHUNGKING, July 8. General Chiang Kai-Shek, in a speech on the third anniversary of the Sino-Japanese war, reaffirmed the determination of the Chinese people to continue their resistance “until the enemy has entirely cast off his aggressive policy, and withdraws his forces from our soil.” He continued: “China will not hesi-$ fate to oppose forcibly any Japanese aggression in Indo-China or other Asiatic territories. Japan, weakened by the Sino-Japanese war, is powerless to make war against any third nation.” It was unthinkable, and grave consequences would follow, he added, if Japanese threats to Indo-China, the East Indies and Burma were tolerated by nations friendly to China. He appealed to the United States and Russia to help China. They were able to do so because they were not involved in the European war.