Nanking, Fed, 9.
Dr. Lo Wenkan, Minister for Foreign Affairs, to-day described the Japanese proposals for demailitarised zones round the chief, ports in China as "highly absurd."
During the course of am interview with press representatives no' analogy between the present Shanghai situation and that exist in Tientsin in 1902 when the ternational agreement, to which] pealed the spokesman of the Japanese Fore'gn Office referred, was made.
Even in Tientsin;" he said "this} particular provision of the mgreement of 1902 has gradually fallen into disuse because of changing crcumstances. To suggest applying this antiquated - arrangement to Shanghai not. only constitutes an attempt. to destroy the administra ive inogeity of a sovereign nation, Which no respectable nation can Tolerate, but also discloses the inister' intention on. the part of the japanese to extend an area of which Mey may again make use 43 2 base for military "operations against Cihinese forces when Japan should engage. in further agares-sion in China"—Reuter, Washington Reactions Washington, Feb. 8.
It is definitely indicated that the United States government will ject the proposal informally sug-sted by the Japanese government {for a series of neutral zones around the principal cities of China.
This proposal, State Department officials oh: contrary to. the spirit of the American policy toward China, being tantamount to partition jof China and violation of tie "open ror" poliey.—United Press, Mistaken Impression Tokyo, Feb.
Correcting what he said was a mistaken impression regarding the japanese Proposal to establish dem! sed. to-do, Treaty, but could be uted to supple uperses: ment it, Moreover, far from ental ing the partition of China, he said, the danger of a partition wontd be, Jereatly lessened if the proposal was learvied into effect.
Declaring that the fundamental den was to break the power of the Chinese warlords and thereby. en~ Able stable conditions and a stable government to be established, the Fpokesman obs "The ' world Jourht to recognise by now that [Chinese armies do not serve the parpose as in western counci tries. They are useless for national defence: they are merely the pawns fof unscrupulous. self-seeking lords im the game of domestic pox Referring to American criticism of the Japanese proposal, the spokes-mun suggested that if Anerica did not like it she should offer an al fevnative solution as, he contended, something had to be done if stabil ity in China was ever to be obtained.
further suggested that the Japanese plan might first be given fa trial at Shanghai and then, if found satisfactory, it could be' tended to other cities—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.