"China Must Decide Whether or Not to Shake Hands":
Tokyo Foreign Minister in Strong Statement 'Tokyo, Sept. 28 "China is now at momentous eross-roods: she must decide whether oF not to shake hands with Japan." declared the Minister for' Foreign 'Affairs, "Mr. "Hachico Arita, in the course of a long statement' to-day, which, Ihe said, was "Intended for the "purpose of making Japan's attitude explicit to the world generally."
"I_ most earnestly hope," he con~ tinued, "that China will grasp our hand in friendly response, whatever difieulties she may have to. sur mount. The outcome of the present Sino-Japanese negotiations can only, bbe wary much better relations "be tween the two" countries, or very much worse, In the existing situa ton, they shall not be permitted to Gritt in the ambiguous manner Prevailing in the past."
The statement, which was unexpectedly strong, was made by Mr. Arita before some forty. foreign correspondents whom he received at the Foreign Ofice, The main points of Mr. Art's declaration and of his Feplies to questions put 10 him after= wards were:
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.