\HE question of the re-opening Shanghai, Nov, 30. of the Yangtze River to general trade, which is being discussed ihe subject of a memorandum, by the Third Powers, was Admiral K, Oikawa, Commander-despatched yesterday by Vice-in-Chief of the Japanese China Seas Fleet, to the senior naval commanders in Shanghai of Great Britain, the United States, France and Italy. It is understood that communications, the diplomatic officials of these Powers likewise received similar The Japanese Army and Navy commands in Central China yesterday issued a communique which, containing the gist of the memorandum, though not in the exact wording of the official document, The text of the communique follows:—
"In view of the fact that since the fait of the Wuhan area, the question of the reopening of the Yangtze River general trade has become the subject of discussions by third Powers, we believe it may not be useless to express the views of the Japanese forces operating in the Yangtze area about the matter, "It should be first noted that the present conditions on the Yangtze River ave quite different from those before the commencement of hostili-lies, The Chinese sank or floated thousands of mines along the river, Inid booms at Kiangyin, Wulungshan, Matouchen, Shihhwelyao and Tuan: eng, and also built strong defences to protect them, The Japanese forces tvened the river to their own navigation by their up-stream operations, overcoming the tenacious resistance the Chinese forces at a great sacri-fee, Suppose the Japanese forces had continued their operations without breaking the booms set up by the Chinese. No third Power would be a position to attempt navigation on the Yangtze, at least during the hostiies.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.