ACUTE SITUATION

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21210, 5 September 1940, Page 8

ACUTE SITUATION

JAPAN AND FRANCE

MINISTER RESIGNS

INDO=CHINA CUT OFF ALL SHIPPING BANNED CENSORS HOLD MESSAGES (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received Sept. 5, 3.15 p.m. MANILA, Sept. 4 Indo-China appears to be virtually cut off ffom communications with the outside world, giving rise to the belief in French circles that the situation has reached an acute stage. All shipping to Indo-China from Hongkong has been banned, leaving as the only transportation route the Japan airways from Canton to Hanoi Efforts to communicate with newspaper correspondents at Hanoi are futile. Those attempting to make communications are being advised that the censors apparently are holding up incoming and outgoing messages.

PRIVILEGES IN INDO-CHINA REJECTION OF TERMS (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) LONDON, Sept. 4 In a communique, it is announced that the Governor-General was advised from Vichy of the conclusion of a Franco-Japanese agreement, according the Japanese certain military privileges under conditions which Vichy was to specify and which were then to become the subject of negotiations between French and Japanese military authorities in Indo-China. Without waiting for the negotiations, the Japanese military mission insisted that the agreement should be signed before midnight on Tuesday, granting the immediate right of passage to Japanese troops across IndoChina. The Saigon Government on Monday decided that it was unable to accept the terms of the ultimatum. A Japanese spokesman denied this morning that Japan had sent an ultimatum to French Indo-China. The Japanese Government, he added, was negotiating with the Petain Government.

Japanese warships are said to be cruising" about just outside French Indo-China waters.

In Shanghai, the authorities in the French concession have placed barbed-wire barricades across the streets throughout the concession and have redoubled the police patrols.

ILL-HEALTH THE CAUSE (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received Sept. 5, 3.15 p.m. TOKIO, Sept. 4 The Minister of Navy, Admiral Zengo Yoshida, has resigned as he is entering hospital suffering from intestinal trouble.