London, Nov. 15.
The British Ambassador in Tokyo.
Sir Robert Craigie, has been instructed to lodge inquiries with the Japanese Government concerning the statement made on November 11 by Gen. Iwane Matsui, Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese forces in the Shanghai area, on his attitude tos the International Settlement. y was given in the House s by Viscount Cranborne, Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, in answer to 3 question put by Sir Percy Harris, Bart, Opposition Liberal member for the south-west division of Bethnal Green.
Sir Percy based his question on a report of the interview given by Gen. Matsui to representatives of foreign news agencies in Shanghai on November 11.
Lord Cranborne said he had no official confirmation of the report in question and that, in any case, Japan had already assured His Majesty's Government of her intention to respect British rights and interests in China.
Gen. Matsui, it is recalled, virtually accused the Settlement and French Concession authorities of a breach of neutrality, and criticized foreign officials in Shanghai] with whom, he said, he could not accomplish the cooperation he had anticipated when he left Japan.
He implied that both the Settlement and French Concession authori ties had been guilty of a breach of neutrality, and added:
"I have no intention of taking advantage of the present state of affairs to take the Settlement under my control but as things are going on at present there may be occasions when we cannot work in cooperation."—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.