Tokyo, Feb. 6.
High Japanese naval offici have decided not to reveal Japan's future naval construction plans despite the virtual ultimatum. received on the subject from the United States and Great Britain, according to semiofficial Japanese sources, The decision of the naval officials, said to have been reached after a two-hour conference to-day at the Navy Ministry, will be communicated to the Japanese Government, which is likely to be advised to reply to that effect before February 20. The conference to-day was attended by many high naval officers, including the Vice-Minister of the Navy, Vice-Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, and the Chief of the Naval Affairs Bureau, Rear-Admiral—Inouye.—Reuter.
"His Majestys Government have, therefore, decided that it will be necessary for them to exercise their right of escalation, unless the Japanese Government can furnish the aforesaid assurances, and can satisfy His Majesty's Government that they will not, prior to January 1, 1943, lay down, complete or acquire any vessel which does not conform to the limits in question, without previously informing His Majesty's Government of their intention to do so, and of the tonnage and calibre of the largest gun of the vessel or vessels concerned appropriations probably will receive greatly increased support because of the Governments final attempt, in ce-operation with Britain and France, to induce Japan to agree on new building limitations If Japan rejects the demands of the tri-power ultimatum, observers believed, the United States Congress with the support of public opinion, will proceed with a record breaking naval construction programme for defence against the implied Japanese challenge.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.