is quite impossible to predict Tokyo, Dec. 8. when the Yangtze River will be reopened to general commercial shipping, Capt. Ogawa stated at an interview with foreign news correspondents today at the Navy Ministry, He spoke on behalf of Rear-Admiral Kanazawa, The present passage down the Yangtze of foreign gunboats has nething whatever to do with reopening the river to general tra l, and the decision Mic, he sai as to when to reopen the river is left entirely to the discretion of the commander-in-chief of the Japanese fleet in China waters.
Instructions in this matter will not be sent from Tokyo, he added.
'On previous occasions the navy' spokesman has stated that it would ye quite impracticable for the Japanese navy to spare the equipment and personnel necessary to preserve the safety of foreign commercial vessels it they. were permitted to navigate fon the Yangtze, while military operations are continuing, in view of danuerous conditions existing.
Captain Ogawa was carefully noncommittal when asked whether the navy would protect Japanese fishing beals in their operations off the Siberian coast if the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Arita, fails to the Soviet' Govern new fisheries pact in place of the temporary agreement soon to expire.
He pointed out that the matter of a new agreement is now under ne-gallation between the Foreign Office and the Soviet Government, and it impossible to say now what measures might be taken in case the negotiations fail. It would depend entirely on the government's decision what to do, so the navy alone 1s not ina position to say anything in an-Nicipation of the failure of the negotiations, This question of the Si fisheries, basic rights to which holds under the Portsmouth Treaty, a perennial source of friction between Japan and) Russia. The Japanese navy could, of course, with complete case project the fishing boats in doing anything they pleased in Siberian waters. But such a step would certainly cause great disorder in the relations between Japan and Russia, shakily balanced os they are even at all times, and might well cause outnight war, sirous of Avoiding War Though such action has been thi ened on several occasions, it has not yet been taken, because, as was shown the Changkaofeng affair, Japan has so far been desirous of avoiding war with Russia, It 1s likely also. that such drastic action will continue not! to be taken until Japan has set in order her affairs in" China, Some observers expect this fisheries question will be the, immediate cause, eventually, of the next Russo-Japanese war, which most well-informed people agree is inevitable, the only question being, when. There are plenty of other things, however, which could bring on the explosion, "We have learnt from many sources," he said, "that the Chinese Ihave entreated the French authorities! to help them and to permit the transit of" munitions to them through French territory. 'This the French seem to be doing, and we fear the Jquantity of such' shipments is in-teasing. We are extremely dissatis-fled wRh this state of affairs. It is 1 matter of grave concern to us that ater the fall of" Canton, French Indo-China has become the main artery for the supply of foreign' munitions of war to the Chinese."
Capt, Ogawa gave the main routes of this gramme as follow: from Hanoi to Yunnan, from Hanoi to Lonchu in Kwangsi, from Tienyeng to Lonchu, Jand by Chinese junks from Haiphong to Tunghing. "The volume of this tame is growing heavier, instead of lceasing as we had hoped, and we Jeannot too greatly regret that it is going through French territory," said.
There may be some truth in the reports that the Chinese nationalists Ihave ordered evacuation of the Pakhoi area, he added, though no definite information about it has been received, because presumably the Chinese want to hide the route by which the munitions are being carried Ju that area, Amoy Conditions Cmdr, Tadano, who has just return Jed from Amoy, where "he was in service for a considerable time, said that the Chinese inhabitants are rapidly returning to that city cause they have learnt that conditions there are quite safe under the JJopanese naval authorities. He said that while only about 18600 of the: inhabitants remained in the city' Jwhen the Japanese occupied it, they' Ihave now increased to about 70,000 The population formerly was about 170,000.
The naval landing force at Amoy, Cmdr. Tadano said, realized that one fof the most important factors in restoring normal conditions _there after the fighting was to enable the residents to return to their homes Jas soon as possible, Grest efforts were accordingly made to secure Jpeace and order, with the result that there has not been a single case of, terrorism on the island. The inhabitants are content that they are fable to carry on their business much At wilh be recalled that Mr. Arita had to leave office when the Imperial Diet forced the resignation, nearly two years ago, of the Hirota' cabinet, in which Mr. Arita was Minister for Foreign Affairs. The conduct of foreign affairs was one of the causes of the Diet's dissatisfaction with Me. Hirota's government, Mr. Arita had negotiated a new fisheries agreement with Russia, but before. the latter had nally ratited it, which It was about to do, Mr. Arita revealed in confidence to the Soviet Ambassador in Tokyo, it was alleged, the impending conclusion of the Japan-German The Ambassador, Mr. Yurenev, promptly informed this to his Government, which at once refused to have anything more to do with the fayreement. 'This was toward the end of 1936. The affair caused Mr. Arita to be bitterly criticized in the Diet. 'The full truth about the whole matter has never been made public, and many people think Mr. Arita' was treated very unjustly. Anyway, the highest quarters repose full confidence in Mr, Arita as he is now in office again, and trying hard to get the Soviet Government to sign a fresh fisheries agreement.
Munitions for China To resume with Capt. Ogawa, he made a renewed charge that large Quantities of foreign munitions of war are still going to the Chinese nationalists via French Indo-China, Me said the Japanese navy has definite knowledge that heavy shipments of munitions are being moved through udo-Chins, from Hongkong and Relating some episodes, Omer. /Tadano said that Amoy is the home Jof many thousands of Chinese mer-Jchants in southern countries, spect Malaysia. Quite recently Japanese living in Singapore had his [bicycle mended at a Chinese bicycle shop there, but the shopkeeper refus-Jed to make any charge because he said his family was living in security Amoy under the auspices of the JJapanese naval force, and he wanted, {to show his thanks. This was regard-Jed as remarkable in view of the intense anti-Sapanese feeling among the Chinese in Singapore, Some Chinese merchants in Manila, he continued, had heard rumors that {heir families in Amoy were being badly treated by the Japanese and Intended to try to get them over to [Manila. But when they came to the vicinity of Amoy and learnt that con ditions in the city were just the Jcontrary, they were content to give!
the idea and returned to Manila alone.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.