Washington, Sept. 6 That the American freighter Wichita, at present passing through th Panama Canal, would be unlikely t encounter the Japanese blockade because of the unwillingness of the Maritime commission to assume unnecessary risks, was understood here to-day.
The Wichita is carrying aeroplanes and barbed wire consigned for Shanghai, but it was understood that the Roosevelt Steamship Ca. had ordered the vessel to proceed to Manila by way of Honolulu, rather than direct to China. Officials of the Seamen's union said they had feceived the assurance of the Maritime Commission that the vessel would not proceed beyond Manila if war conditions still prevailed in Chinese waters, The Maritime Commission w non-committal, but it was indicated that nearly five weeks would elapse between the time the Wichita cleared Panama and arrived at Manila, including a delay at San Diego for refueling. Some observers here expressed the opinion that the Wichita's cargo might be landed at Hongkong and the Chinese purchasers of the war materials aboard given the responsibility for transmitting the goods into China—United Press
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.