Tokyo, Feb. 10, Japan was under no obligation to divulge her naval programme, but insisted upon the greatest secrecy on the subject, said Rear-Admiral Noda, spokesman of the Ministry of the Navy, in the course of a 90-minute press conference 10-day, Asked to indicate a method of approach other than the Notes from Great Britain, France and the United States which might cause Japan to reconsider her refusal of information, Rear-Admiral Noda replied: "It is not a question of formula, but rather one of substance, If the Powers approach Japan with the idea of limiting quantity rather than quality, then it would give a much better impression. to Japan."
A correspondent pointed out that Japan was on one side of the fence, With the rest of the naval Powers on the other, He asked: "Will Japan do nothing to, prevent a naval race?"
The spokesman replied: "Our armaments are based on non-menace and non-aggression, We will never start a naval race, but if the other Powers start expansion tending to menace our security, we cannot sit idle,"
Rear-Admiral Noda added that Japan's reply to the Notes from the three Powers was still under con-
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