Tokyo, Oct. 20.
"It is very funny that Japan has not yet been invited to the Nine-Power Conference," remarked the spokesman of the Foreign Office at a press conference to-day.
"Until the Japanese Government gets amd sees the contents of the invita-lion," he added, "it is quite useless to discuss Japan's attitude."
The spokesman waxed caustic over Jay press reports that Japan was considering denouncing the Nine-Power Pact. Japan, he emphasized, was still observing the terms of the pact (under which the signatories undertake, among other things, to respect the sovereignty, independence, and the territorial and administrative integrity of China).
The Italian Government has decided to uphold Japan's action in China, "which is designed against Communistic influences" declares the Rome correspondent of the "Asahi Shimbun" on the basis of an interview with Italian Government leaders. Italy, the correspondent says, intends to take part in the Nine-Power Conference in Brussels if Japan so desires and if her views accord with those of Germany, Ttaly's attitude at the conference, the "Asahi Shimbun" representative adds, will be along the following lines:
1—Japan is not to be regarded as the "St" No resolution is to be adopted enforcing sanctions against Japan. so as to counter "Soviet intrigues."
'3—Japan's position is to be defended
The Italian Ambassador, Sienor Japanese, The report gives political reasons Eight Chinese Air Raids- sinister, Mr. Horinouchi, yesterday 5 Auriti, called on the Vice Foreign for this development, although other sources indicate that the activity of Chinese mobile units in Hopei compelled the Japanese to shorten their lines of communication in' the Tientsin-Pukow Railway zone.
More Japanese troops have entered north Honan preparatory to renewing their attack on the Chinese defences north of Changteh, begun by an advance column on October 18 but temporarily abandoned to await reinforcements.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.