MISSING MAPS

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 160711, 26 July 1920, Page 7

MISSING MAPS

JAPANESE REQUEST., AMERICAN EXPLANATION. TOKIO, July 9. The American Charge d’Affaires, re plyinf to a request by the Japanese Foreign Minister to deliver up the maps alleged to have been stolen from the War Department archives, and sold to an American military attache, explained how the Embassy came into possession of the maps. . These, it was stated, were Siberian maps, belonging to the Russian Imperial General Staff, and there was no evidence that they were ever the property of the Japanese Government. They were offered for sale to the attache, who decided they were valueless, and desired to return them to the man who offered them. The Charge d’Affaires notifies his willingness to return them to Field-Marshal Oyama, or to his order. He requested the Foreign Office to give publicity to tho text of the Note, but the request was denied, while the Embassy is unable to publish it, because the publication would be actionable, on the grounds that the case is sub judice. The Japanese Press report the loss recently of some of the most valuable military maps from the Formosan headquarters, among them being maps of the fortifications of Pespadores. The Press intimates that tnese went to the same purchaser as the Siberian maps. An earlier message announced the arrest of a nephew of the famous FieldMarshal Oyama on a charge of selling strategic maps and files of the Survey Department of the War Office to an unnamed foreigner for £4OOO. The police in a statement said that Oyama was intimate with a certain American and also a military attache at a “certain Embassy.” The police were reluctant to act because of the high importance of the relatives and their houourable name, hut were forced to do so by the seriousness of the offence. Other arrests were expected.