London, July 21.
A statement defending Japan's most recent moves in North China was published by the Japanese Embassy here yesterday afternoon. Th" document stated that the Chinese Government, in its note to the Japanese Charge d'Affaires in Nanking of July 19, completely side stepped the Japanese requests of July 17.
Japanese measures in North China, it claimed, are in self-defence, in view of the concentration of 200,000 Chinese! soldiers in the vicinity, occupying strategic positions and capable of annihilating the Japanese troops and nationals scattered through the area, It rejected all Japanese responsibility for developments in China.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.