Tokyo, Oct. 22.
The, Foreign Office spokesman, "in a written statement to-day referring to the Hongkong Supreme Court enquiry into the alleged sinking of Chinese fishing junks by Japanese warcraft, remarks that the "self-styled Chinese fishermen of the junks attacked have testified that the junks were equipped with one to four old-style cannons.
"We have never heard of a fishing boat with such armaments," the statement declares. "The Chinese testi-many, therefore, must be taken ar a confession that the allegedly attacked junks were pirate junks which infest the neighbourhood of Bias Bay."
The spokesman points out that the "Hongkong Government in 1926 revised the Pirate Law for the purpose of strengthening control over Bias Bay pirates, but failed to obtain satisfactory results. Therefore, in September, 1927, Great Britain proposed to the Powers a joint expedition against the pirates, Әpi e United States, France and Italy refused.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.