Tokyo, Mar.
A severe earthquake shook western Jepan' at 312 am, today, stopping clocks in many areas but apparently, Going no serious damage. The tremors were felt in Ibaraki, Tochigi, Saitama and Tokyo prefectures. The centre of the earthquake was reported to be 150 niles "north-<ast of Tokyo—United Press.
Tokyo, Mar. 12, Assured of support by the Minseito and the Seiyukai, major parliament lary groups, various political. parties in the House of Representatives todsy began drafting a resolution urging the Government to adopt a firm-attitude both in internal and external affairs.
"The proposed resolution, soon to be Introduced in the Lower "Chamber, will urge the Government to strengthen the antiComintern Pact, to manifesto determined attitude to-Wards the China conflet and. the stablishment of a new order in Bast Asia, and to put into effect various Internal administrative reforms.
The Government will further be asked to secure the reconsideration of Various Powers now exhibiting a tendency of favouring, the regime, of Gen, Chiang Kat-shek, it was understood—Domei, Japan Note Issues Increased Tokyo, Mar. 9.
Further adverse economic reper: cussions of the Sino-Japanese were revealed here today when a Dill authorizing from 40 to 60 per cent. increase In the note issues' three major Japanese banks was submitted to the Diet by the Government, The new bill would permit the Bank of Japan to increase its note sue from ¥.1,700,000,000 to ¥.2,200,- 000,000 and the note issue limits for the Bank of "Korea and Bank Formosa would be raised from ¥.100,- 000,000, to. ¥.169,000,000 "and from 'Y.50:000,000 to ¥.80,000,000 "respec The bill provides that the Jaw would be repealed within one year after the termination of the Sino-Japanese war. The bill was, presented in the form of an amendment to the law governing the note issues of, various, banks.
'The Diet, -afler receiving Army and" Navy' budget requests. totalling, more than ¥.2,000,000,000 this week, today heard an optimistic report on the future of the Japan-Mfanchoukuo-China bloc from ihe resident of the the National Planning Board, Mr. Kazuo Aoki, who said" that" upon pletion of Japan's four-year programme of production expansion three ations of the proposed "Yen Bee" "would "be completely self-sufficient in iron, steel, coal, zine railway rolling. stock, ' motor cars, shipping facilities, "light metals, sulphate, pulp, ammonium and soda, Taking 1998 production ax the primary basis of production, Mr, Aoki told the Diet that by the end of the four year programme in 1942, the rate of increased production on vat portant products and raw would be a8 follows, in 'Iron 250, steel 00, copper 80, Lead 9, zine 70, li 0, synthetic all 8,000, Paper pulp 20, rayon pulp 320, motor cars 800, raw' wool 340, locomotives 30," passenger rail cars 70, freight rallears $0, and gold 20 per cent. United: Press. t Told Yangtze *|Not to Open Yet Tokyo, Mar. 11.
"Navigation of the Yangtze River being banned because of military. necessities and though it is to be opened if such necessities disappear we cannot foretell at this time when that will take place," the" Forelin Minister, Mr. Machiro Arita, told. a budgetary committee of the House of Representatives this afternoon, Indorsing Mr. Arita's reply to 9 question, Admiral Mitsumasa" Yonai, Minister' of Navy, replied to Mr. Sobel Hara's interpellation as follows:
"Speaking about military necess!- ties, there is some divergence between those of the Army and those of the Navy, and therefore if the time comes when the strategical situation Is te-Hieved from a naval point of view we think that part of the: river will be opened to navigation. Yet a date of such opening is beyond prediction just now."—Domel,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.