ARMS FOR CHINA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24346, 10 July 1940, Page 7

ARMS FOR CHINA

TRAFFIC THROUGH BURMA THE PROTEST FROM JAPAN BRITAIN'S REPLY SENT (British Official Wirelessl (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph-Copyright) RUGBY, July 8. Sir Robert Craigie delivered inTokio to-day the British reply to the recent representations. Sir Robert's report of his interview with Mr Arita has not yet been received in London, but any observations which Mr Arita may have to put forward will receive the same careful consideration as the original representations. It is authoritatively stated that Britain asserted that closure of the Burma route was incqmpatible with Britain's commitments in Burma and India. A message from Tokio states that Mr Gaimusho. of the Foreign Office, has issued a statement that Sir Robert Craigie visited Mr Arita and replied that the export of military supplies through Hongkong had hitherto been strenuously prohibited, which Britain believed would meet the Japanese demands. He said it was difficult to prohibit legal trade by the Burma road. Moreover, the rainy season began at the end of June, which was likely to

result in a very heavy slump in the transit of goods over this route. MrGaimusho described the reply as unsatisfactory. Mr Arita expressed his dissatisfaction and emphatically reiterated the Japanese view and urged Britain to reconsider it. • The Domei News Agency states that Japan may be forced to change her attitude to Indo-China, due to the alleged continued transport of supplies to Chungking. The Japanese Army is threatening a serious incident over the arrest of 16 armed Japanese "plain clothes men by United States marines. The Japanese entered the defence sector of the International Settlement, thus violating the agreement. They were released after a Japanese apology. The matter was believed to be settled, but the Japanese deny the apology, and charge the marines with assaulting several prisoners, who were treated like condemned criminals. Chinese Leader's Appeal Marshal Cihiang Kai-shek,, in a speech at Chungking, on the third anniversary of the Sino-Japanese war, reaffirmed the determination of the Chinese people to continue resistance "until the enemy entirely casts off his aggressive policy and withdraws his forces from our soil. China will not hesitate forcibly to oppose any Japanese aggression in Indo-China and other Asiatic territories," he said. "Japan, weakened bv the Sine-Japanese war, is powerless to make war against any third nation." He added that it was unthinkable, and grave consequences would follow if the Japanese threats to Indo-China, the East Indies, and Burma were tolerated by nations friendlv 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. *