SETTLEMENT TALK

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 225, 21 June 1939, Page 9

SETTLEMENT TALK

Protest To Tokio By United States JAPAN IS PROVOCATIVE Electric Barrier Round Tientsin Concessions (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.) (Received June 20, 11.55 p.m.) SHANGHAI, June 20. The British Ambassador in Tokio, Sir Robert Craigie, and the Japanese Foreign Minister, Mr. Arita, conferred today at noon and, it is believed, had a preliminary discussion of the terms of settlement in Tientsin, says a message from Tokio. It is officially stated that Sir Robert Craigie outlined Britain’s views of the settlement issues and protested against the indignities to Britons. Mr. Arita promised that these matters would be considered and investigated. The Japanese Army authorities in Tientsin yesterday announced that as from 10 p.m., 31 miles of wire surrounding the British and French concessions would be charged with 220 volts of electricity. The consular body lodged a protest. The British United Press correspondent in Tokio reports that Mr. Dooman, the American Charge d’Affaires, delivered two strongly-worded Notes protesting against bombing of American property and the stoppage of supplies in Kulangsu. The Domei agency reports that 3000 members of the White Russian Volunteer Corps are parading under arms in the British area. The corps was recently formed to assist Japan in establishing the “new order in Asia.” The situation in Tientsin in the meantime is calm. The concession is gripped by 31 miles of electrified wires. Today’s earliest development was the resignation of several Chinese employees of the concession’s municipal council as a result of threatening letters. Two unnamed Englishmen reported to the British Consulate that they were stripped naked at a Japanese searching post, after which they were subjected to the most obscene degradations and forced to dress outside in full view of a Chinese crowd. Local Japanese newspapers are running a campaign declaring that the British must not remain in China in any circumstances. The Domei news agency reports in Shanghai that the Japanese authorities issued the statement that if Britain retaliates with economic action Japan will be released from her obligation to protect and respect British property in China. The latest estimates give 1700 British subjects as being resident in the British concession in Tientsin. Official figures obtained in the summer of 1938 gave the total population of the concession as 76,815.