Referring to the Tokyo pronouncements regarding the formation of an economic and political bloc compri: ing Japan, Manchoukuo and China, Mr. Butler declared: "I would like to say that Great Britain's position in this respect is governed by the Washington treaties and other international agreements to which His Majesty's Government, in conjunction with a large number of other Governments, are parties.
"We should not, therefore, consider any alteration ju the position, id down in treaties. brought about by unilateral action. In this matter our stand is the same as that laid down by the United States Secretary of State,"
The British Government, Mr. Butler continued, had formally protested in the same sense as the United States to Japan in recent months, and had made the position very clear.
The Foreign Under-Secretary stated that it was clear from Mr. Chamberlain's words about reconstruction in China that when the time came Britain would be ready to play her part in giving such assistance as the Government and people of China might require to repair the terrible damage they had suffered and to rehabilitate and re-equip their country for the years of peace which she hoped was coming.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.