Atmosphere in Tokyo Reported Changing: Japan Working for Early Action Tokyo, July 17, WWE Jepanese statesmen realizing the difficulties of localizing hostilities in North China once they are started, the atmosphere here is changing.
It is now forecast that every effort will be made to reach an. amicable settlement.
Fresh instructions to this effect are reported to be on the way to Lieut.-Gen. Kiyoshi Katsuki, the newly-appointed commander-in-chief of the Japanese garrison in North Chi Meanwhile, Mr. Koki Hirota, the Foreign Minister, sent important instructions yesterday to Mr. S, Kawagoe, the Japanese Ambassador to China to return to Nanking, from Tientsin, according to the "Asahi Shimbun."
The Ambassador was told to keep in touch with Dr. Wang Chung-hui, the Chinese Foreign Minister, and other Chinese leaders, in an endeavour to strengthen Japan's objective of settling the North China incident locally.
The negotiations in North China will not permit of further procrastinaion and, therefore, the Japanese Government has decided on measures {to accelerate them.
This decision was announced by the chief "secretary of the Cabinet this afternoon after a conference between the Prime Minister, Prince Konoye, the Minister of War, General Sugiyama, the Minister of Navy, Admiral Yoral, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr, Koki Hirota, the Minister of Home Affairs, Dr. "Eiichi Baba, and the Minister of Finance, Mr. Okinori Kaya.
The nature of the measures has! not been disclosed, but it is believed that they will consist of:
1. Instruction to Lieut-Generat Katsuki, Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese forces in North China. to insist on an Immediate conference with General Sung Cheh-juan, Chair man of the Hopei-Charhar Political Council and Commander-in-Chief of the 29th "Army.
A protest to the Chinese Government against the entry of Central Government troops into Hopel—Reuter,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.