Washington, Oct. 4.
The Stale Department was to-day investigating the incident that occurred in Kobe last week when an American Vice-Consul boarded the French ship Chenonceaux and compelled twenty American citizens, Who were en route to Shanghai, to eave the vessel and remain in Kobe.
The Secretary of State, Mr. Cordell Hull, said that the investigation was being made to determine when ther the twenty Americans, mostly women and children, should be al~ Towed to proceed to Shanghai, from Japan, where they are now stranded, Mr, Hull pointed out that Amer-tean Consulate and passport officials had been instructed to discourage American nationals from entering China, especially during this period when effigials are concentrating on efforts to evacuate Americans from that country.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.