Indignation in Great Britain over the recent attacks on His Majesty": ships by Japanese naval airmen and military artillery in the Yangtze Jnot been perceptibly softened by the interesting variety of explanations offered by the spokesmen of the Japanese Services and their diplomatic colleagues, declares the "Daily Telegraph" to-day.
Meanwhile, it is fairly evident, the Journal continues, that the desire of the Japanese Army to avoid the ess "of "face" imposed on the Navy after the bombing of_ the Panay, when Rear-Admiral Teizo Mitsunami, Chief of Japanese aerial Operations in China, was removed from his post with. unaccompanying publicity in Japan is seriously holding bp the enquiries promised both to the British and American Governments following the outrages on Decem= ber 12.
With the best will in the world, the: newspaper adds, it will be dimcuit to [place much credence in the ca paci the Japanese Government to prevent future "incidents," if it can hot even enquire into past one. ting that the attitude of fdeelares that "as far as Brita teemed, the recent violation. of territorial waters of Hongkong makes dependent but aggravating fact.
easier to regard this as an Reuter.
Washington, Dee. 22. [AJAR American political factions stood pledged in unity to-night in support of President Roosevelt's declaration of foreign policy in which he made clear that the United States ejected a policy of "peace at any price."
While newspapers throughout the country warned Japan that American sentiment might swing suddenly in favour of war in the event of further "provocations" such as the recent Panay in lent, Mr. Alfred M. London, former Republican Presidential Candidate, telegraphed the President his complete suppo: of the Administration's strong declaration of foreign pol The White House to-night instruct-Jed the State Department to make ublic Mr. London's telegram as well as a reply by the President in which he commended his former political opponent for his support and patrio-
'Last year at the Gridiron dinner, in the Spirit of the old American tradition that, polities cease at the waters' edge," Mr. London's tclegram {o the President said, "I pledged your ce-operation and support in the dimeult foreign situations. confront ing the Administration. That is a grand principle and we must give evidence of our good faith in it. Tt means that there must be no playing polities at the expense of the coun fry's unity in dangerous situations such as now confront us.
"Therefore I want to renew my pledge, especially in view of the fact that so many members of Con~ ress in both parties seem to have forgotten the basle principle American polities and by their factions help to create the impression on foreign nations that they do not trust your administration of foreign affairs. They would hamstring your conduct in extremely delicate foreign, relations. These members of Con-ress are pursuing the same danger-course followed by those members of the British Parliament who early fu 1918 gave the impression that England either wouldn't or couldn't fight under any circumstances, tation Impracticable "I believe the overwhelming Jority of my countrymen, regardless politics, race, creed or colour, from the days of' President Washington to this hour, have desired to pursue an even tenor in their ways with all nations and all peoples, but throughout our long history, we Americans have reacted against every suggestion that ultimate secur= Hty can be assured by closing our eyes to the fact that whether we like it or not, we are a part of a large world of' other nations and peoples, As such we owe some measure of ce-operation and even leadership in maintaining the standards of con duet helpful in attaining the ultimate foal of general peace,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.