London, Apr. 30, 'The eager attention' with which Great Britain has followed the Far Eastern drama was reflected in the House of Commons to-day when the Foreign Secretary, Sir John Simon, rose to make his promised statement on the position arising from the now~ famous. "hands-off-China" declar. tion made in Tokyo on April 17 Every seat in the floor of "the House was occupied and the galleries were crowded with distinguished diplomats and others who had Fanged to secure admission.
"The Foreign Secretary began by saying that H. M. Ambassador Tokyo had made on April 25 to Mr. Hirota, the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs, "a friendly enquiry to the effect that the principle of Saul rights in China was guaranteed very explicitly by thi that the British continue to enjoy all rights in Ching Which are common to all signatories except insofar as such rights are astricted by agreement, for example the Consortium Agreement, or insofar as Japan had special rights recognis~ ed by the other Powers.
The Ambassador (Sir Francis Lindley) had said that the anxiety regards China expressed in the Japanese statement could not apply to Great Britain and that, since it was the aim of British policy to avoid dangers to the peace and in-(egoity. of China, HM. Government could not admit the right of Japan lone to decide whether any particular action, such as the provision of technical and financial assistance, promoted such danger.
Sir John Simon proceeded to say that under Articles T and VII of the Nine-Power Pact Japan had the right call the attention of the other signatories to any action in China inimical to her security.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.