The Japanese Minister called on the Acting Premier, Dr. Yen, yesterday and communicated to him the intention of the Japanese Goyernment to withdraw the Japanese guards on the Shantung Railway as soon as possible without waiting for the ratification of the Shantung Agreement at Washington. It is stated that with that object in view, the Japanese are now aking every preparation for the withdrawal of the troops along the line. The Japanese Minister, therefore, asked the Chinese Government to get either police or soldiery ready to replace the Japanese railway guards.
He also pointed out the statement made by the Chinese delegates at Washington that the Chinese Government would take' full respoasibility for the protection of the railway itself as well as for foreign lives and property and that in case a proper police force should not be organized in due time a military force would be need as guards as a temporary measure but that such a military force should be organized with selected and well-disciplined soldiers. Mr. Obata stated that the Japanese Covernment trusted that the above state: ment made by the Chinese delegates at Washington was fully shared and endorsed by the Chinese Jovernment and that the Japanese Government would entirely depend upon that statement in carrying out the withdrawal of the Japanese railway guards.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.