FRENCH TO REPLY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20493, 1 March 1941, Page 6

FRENCH TO REPLY

JAP. PROPOSALS THAILAND DEMANDS VICHY CABINET MEETS REPORT OF ULTIMATUM (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. March 1, 1 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 28. A serious crisis in the negotiations for the settlement of the dispute between French Indo-China and Thailand was averted when the Vichy Government, after a full Cabinet meeting, anhounced that France in the interests of peace is replying to the Japanese proposals for territorial cessions to Thailand. It is insistently reported that Japan gave Indo-China until midnight tonight to reply to the Japanese proposals, but the time limit expired without a reply from the French. Earlier, Mr. Ishii, tile Japanese Cabinet Information Bureau's spokesman, declined to say what Japan would do if no reply were received. He denied that Japan had delivered an ultimatum or that warships had been jsent to Indo-China.

According to an earlier report from the Tokib correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain, the ultimatum hour of midnight passed with the lights burning ih the Japanese Foreign Office where Officials were gravely awaiting the first test of the Japanese leadership in the East Asia sphere, but no reply came.

Competent circles expressed the opinion that any forceful action by Japan would at least be delayed until the removal of several hundred Japanest civilians from Indo-China and possibly until the armistice period expired oh March 7. ,