German passengers of military age are not permitted to travel in steamers belonging to the Nippon Yusen Kaisha, officials of the Japanese shipping firm told the "North-China Daily News" yesterday. A special form is now being drawn up which will be submitted for signature to all intending German passengers whereby they certify that they have no connection with the German fighting forces on land, at sea, and in the air.
Persons having passports marked with a "J" will be permitted to travel in all N. Y.K. liners without hindrance and the company, it understood, reserves itself the right to cancel the passages of Germans who, having signed the proposed form, are suspected of having any connection with the German forces.
Officials of the Dairen Kisen Kaisha questioned yesterday said that while German passengers are not barred from travelling on the company's ships they are informed that they are doing so at their own risk. The possibility of a subsequent prohibition for German passengers of military age to travel in the company's steamers was not altogether ruled out, however, although no in; structions in this connection have, reached the D. K.K. Shanghai branch from their head-office as yet.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.