DIPLOMATIC INCIDENT

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18579, 13 December 1934, Page 5

DIPLOMATIC INCIDENT

CHARGE OF ESPIONAGE FRENCH: NAVAL OFFICER PROTEST NOTE TO JAPAN] (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Received Dec. 13, noon.) . TOKIO, Dec. 12. Tho gendarmerie’s disclosures regarding a French naval official, which the entire press featured, embellished .with photographs of Lieutenant T. du Cros, French naval attache, and different girls, is likely to develop into l a diplomatic incident, as the French Ambassador, M. l'ila, is indignant, and has sent a note to Mr. Ilirota, requesting him to make a statement on the truth of the whole matter.

The note points out, firstly, that it is intolerable that an officer of the French Embassy should be accused of espionage without a strict inquiry, and informing the Embassy. Moreover, the allegations of espionage are entirely false, and the Ambassador personally guarantees the correctness of du Cros’ professional conduct. Secondly, according to international usage, the private life of a member of the diplomatic corps should not be made the subject of a press campaign.

Tho Japanese gendarmerie disclosed recently that du Cros had been several times summoned and questioned for alleged espionage activities. They also arrested and cross-examined a score of daughters and young wives of Japanese officials socially prominent. All were proficient in French’, and it is alleged that du Cros established friendship with them and then induced them to obtain secrets of naval strategy and descriptions of arsenals, etc. Du Cros travelled extensively to out-of-the-way places, including fortified zones.