Tokyo, Dec. 9.
Severe criticisms of the hush-hush policy of the Hirota Cabinet In the matter of the nation's foreign rela. Hons suddenly have been let 10050, not only in the Press, but also among Prominent members' of the major political parties,. The secrecy under which the progress of the Sino [Japanese negotiations in Nanking was Velled was an Important tarz2t of an attack led by the Press and supported by large political crieies, The Sulyuan and Tsingtao situations, it was held, had been responsible for the deadlock in the negotiations, - and bespoke the failure of the Government in making its voice heard among its servants stationed abroad.
The Premier and the Foreign Min-Ister Arita were put to severe ques tioning by Mr. Ando, a representative of the Seiyukai, during an interview yesterday. Demanding definite infor-motion, Mr. Ando asked whether the Sino-Japanese negotiations In Nar king had broken down, and what was the real attitude of the Government towards the Suiyuan situation, Mr. Hirota intimated that the nogoiiations were at a temporary standstill, but that did not mean they would not.be resumed at a later opportune moment. The Sulyuan situation, Mr. Hirota said; Concerned not Japan but Manchoukuo, fand he did not believe it would be further aggravated.
Mr. Ando suggested that, as Japan had announced to the world her Innocence of any complication in the Suiyuan imbroglio, the responsibil naturally fell on, the. Government shoulders to prove it. Mo. Hirota replied that the real situation soon would be clarified—Central News,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.