Washington, July 20, The Japanese Ambassador, Mr. Hiroshi Saito, to-day expressed the opinion that irresponsible local Chinese soldiers, partially under the influence of Communism, had provoked the North China crisis, "It is a local matter and can be settled locally," he asserted. "There are no political conditions or demands involved. If Japan really wanted to occupy North China, she has had' rany chances to do so in the last few years."
The Ambassador said that the Nine Power Treaty had not entered the situation inasmuch as no political demands were: involved.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.