Washington, June 11. Secretary of State, Mr, Cordell Hull, said today that the Government would exert its moral influence to discourage the sale to Japan of planes which could be used to bomb civilians. He indicated the move was a consequence of recent bombings of civilians in Canton, He disclosed that in the past few: days the Government had communicated to manufacturers its disapproval of the export of planes for bombing purposes.
Asked whether the State Depart ment was considering uny practical step in connection with civilian bombings in Spain and China, Mr. Hull said the Government's position was well known as it had repeatedly condemned such acts.
Singe the law now enforces an em-argo on the sale of planes to either the Republicans or Nationalists Spain, Mr, Hull's statement was considered aimed directly at Japan although he did not mention it "by name, Diplomats in the Capital today regarded the action of the Secretary of 'State as a specie answer to "the elficism of groups both at home and abroad that' the United States had not acted practically to prevent eiviian bombings although it had ver-pally denounced them.
Tt was also suggested that Mr. Hull had acted in part as am alternative to ce-operation with Great Britain in the proposed investigation of civilian bombings in Spain and China. 'They strongly asserted that the "United States wished no entanglements. that such an investigation, particularly: in Spain, might entail,' but wished to demonstrate clearly' its disapproval of the bombings, Moral Pressure Because of the existing embargo on shipments to Spain, the only remain. ing step needed to detach the United States from even" indirect respon" sibility for the bombings in China was to cheek the export of planes to Japar American law allows tne complete embargo of shipments of planes Japan but this would necessitate. application of the full Neutrality Law! on both Japan and China, a move which Government officials have long desired to avoid, Mr. Hull, therefore, apparently decided that the use of moral pressure on exporters was the best means to restrain them.
Some questioned whetticr exporters would fully comply but others recal Jed that when Mr. Hull and the President exerted similar pressure on exporters carly in the Spanish crisis before the Spanish embargo was put into effect, most exporters complied Technical Advisers Otticial sources said today that the United States "had not" formally offered technical assistance to China bhut intimated that possibly military oticers had individually advised the Chinese "how they might—obtain technical advisers from America without contradicting the neutrality policy, An embassy spokesman said he haa no knowledge of any preparations of the United States to send experts to China although he understood that Some individuals had gone in a pr vote capacity. He said nothing had been arranged through the Embassy, He also professed ignorance of the reported agreement among France. Russia and: China.—United Press.
"RIY. Times" Comment New York, June 12.
Commenting on the Statement of the USS, Secretary of State the "New York "Times" write "The measures taken with a view to discouraging the sale of aircraft are due to the embarrassment caused the Government by the continued export of bombers to Japan despite declarations from the State Department deploring aerial bombardments.
"This appears to be all that can the done for the moment without enforcing the Neutrality Law against Jepan' and China. And. the Law Would bring with it many complica tions and would affect China more than it would Japan, "In the ease of the non-application of the Law, special legislation would bbe necessary to decide on an embargo prohibiting the despatch of arms Japan." the newspaper declares.
Concluding, this organ, stresses that Mr. Hull made it obvious that if sales to Japan do not. diminish, hho would again point out the dissatisfaction "of the Government Havas, Uruguay Investigates Montevideo, June 8.
The Chamber of Deputies has created a Committee which will be entrusted with an investigation into the functioning of Nazi schools in Uruguay. This step was taken upon the Fequest of a Socialist Deputy.—
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.