The Hirota Cabinet has shown self very sensitive to the reactions in Japan and abroad, the police tak ing the unusual step of calling on the heads of foreign firms in Yokohama and asking them what. their views were on the subject of the agreement, an effort to assuage criticism abroad. the Minister of "Foreign Affairs' recently received the foreman correspondents in Tokyo and replied to their questions about the antly Comintern agreement In a conference which lasted for over an hour.
In the interview, the Foreign Min for siressed that the agreement ulmod solely to defeat the Comintern and lig international subversive activities, and that Japan had no intention of cing Fascist and particularly desired fo retain the friendship of Great Britain and the United States.
Mr. Arita declared there would be alteration of Japan's. polley of friendship towards Soviet Russia and hoped that the existing issues with Russia on the Siberian fisheries and Manchurian border would be settled shortly by negotiation, He added, however, that the time had not yel come for the conclusion of _a noneagaression pact with the USSR. and that such a pact is not enough to assure peaceful. relations between Japan and that country.
Asked "should the Communists seek {o overthrow the Nanking Government, would Japan support Nanking to prevent its overthrow?" Mr. Arita replied that such a question was outside the scope of the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.