Mr, Anthony Crossley, Conservative member for the Stratford Division of Lancashire, enquired regarding the result of the enquiries into a case in which Japanese soldiers entered the promises of Andrew Harper & Company, Canton, and seized motor ears, and accessories there, despite British consular seals on the building.
Mr. Butler said he thought the reterence was to Wallace Harper's. The company, he said, was registered as British, but a substantial block of the shares was at present in foreign, non-Chinese hands.
Lord Halifax, Mr. Butler went on, had been asked for details beyond those already received, with a view to deciding whether' any further action was requisite beyond the re-reservations already made by the British Consul-General in Canton. ipping in North China, including Chefoo.
Mr. William Craven ENis, Conserva~ tive member for Southampton, sought details of the proposal to assist by Export Credits the sale of lorries to China.
Mr, R. S. Hudon, Secretary for overseas Trade, replied: "Certain proposals for guarantees, in connec tion with exports to China, are being considered, but there are obvious objections to giving detailed informa-nile the negotiations are pro-
Asked by Mr. James Hall, Labour member for the Whitechapel and St. George's Division of Stepney, regard-Ing the condions of telesraphie communication during the hostilities in China, Mr. Butler replied that a cer-{ain amount of interruption inevitably occurred, but it might be said that, [generally speaking, communications at present were adequate.
Replying to Mr. Adrian Moreing, [Conservative member for Preston, Mr. Butler said that, in a Note addressed to Sir Robert Craigie, the British Ambassador in Tokyo, on December fa, "Mr. Hachiro Arita, the Japanese Foreign Minister, had stated that "no [change whatever has occurred during the past three months to render the survey of the Shanghai-Nanking line possible
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.