Shanghai, Oct. 6.
STRONG protest against the construction of defence works, including trenches, by the French authorities in territory beyond the French Concession boundaries, has been made to M. Naggiar, rench Ambassador, by Mr. Chen Lo, Minister of Foreign Alfairs of the Reformed Government.
The protest was made on Monday in the form of an official note, ccording to the local Japanese newspapers.
The note despatched to the French Ambassador, according to the newspapers, referred specifically to the Fecent erection of breastworks in the Siccawei and Hungjao Road areas, lemand was made for the cessation of such activities and the restoration of the status quo ante in those areas which are under the jurisdiction of the "Chinese authorities, the papers The journals recalled that the French military had extended their authority over the Hungjao Road rea, east of the railway erossing, last November after the retreat of the Chinese forces, who burned the Japanese owned Tungwen College be~ fore evacuating. These defences were recently. strengthened.
According to the Japatiese dailies, the Japanese authorities will also protest against the strengthening of these French defences in zones in close proximity to the Japanese lines, charging the French. authorities "acting abnormally," an un~ named "high personage" was quoted by the Japanese papers as_ stating that the Concession authorities were "under obligation. to reply with good faith" to the protest, 'The Concession, he further charged, was being turned into "an asylum' for Gen. Chiang Kal-shole agents" where anti-Japanese publications were being "sheltered."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.