Hankow, Nov. 4.
Yangtze is quite safe and will be reopened to foreign shipping when military operations permit, but I cannot say when that will be," said General Shunroku Hata, when interviewed ing.will take place in this zone, we desire to request that steps be taken to have all neutral vessels now in this zone take refuge as far upstream as possible.
"2 It is requested that informa tion concerning the positions and movements of all neutral vessels now jon the Yangtze above Hankow, as well as in the waters adjacent thereto, be given through the Japanese /Senfor Naval OMicer stationed at lby foreign correspondents late yesterday.
Asked if he was still planning to march on Chungking as he Jannounced at Nanking, General Hata replied, ''Yes, if necessary," but would not venture an opinion as to this prospect.
"T ama military man, not a politician," was his answer to this and another Jquestion regarding the effect of the capture of Canton and Hankow.
The interview took place in a Chi~ nese bank building which had been converted into a German restaurant) before the Japanese occupation, and is now a military headquarters. General Hata said that he did not katow how tong his headquarters would main in Hankow.
'Commenting on General Chiang! {Kai-shek's announcement new ftaeties, General Hata. said, "We are. quite prepared for them." but admitted' that not all of China's milltary power had been destroyed, and that the Chinese are "good fighters."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.