Hongkong, Oct. 4.
The Colonial Government was deeply concerned to-day over the absence of meteorological reports since the Japanese Navy took over Pratas Shoals Weather Bureau, the most important station of its kind in South China.
Shipping throughout all southern waters has been endangered, it was reported. Negotiations were started with Japan but so far they have resuled only in meagre and often inaccurate reports from a Japanese warship standing by the shoals.
Meanwhile, the Pratas issued no reports on the typhoon which passed the shoals ae 6 am, to-day and was expected to strike Hongkong late today.
Two American mail liners, the President Wilson, en route to San Francisco, and the President Jefferson, en route to Hongkong, wirelessed that they are battling a typhoon of severe intensity. Both ships were. supplying valuable information concerning the typhoon to Hongkong, substituting for the Pratas recordings.—United Press.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.