Field Overlooked; Other Properties Not Closed Tokyo, June 3.
Japan has no intention of depriving Americans of the ownership of their property in China. This comment was made by the spokesman for the Foreign Office today, regarding the American Note requesting the return of their property to American nationals in China, Theoretically speaking, the spokesman said, property situated in an ọccupied area must be occupied by the owner, but there were "probably special circumstances at Nanking which compel the Japanese military authorities to hold foreign property."
Anyhow, the spokesman declared, the situation must be clarified, and for this reason a party of representatives of the Foreign Office, War Office, and Admiralty had been sent to Shanghat to investigate the situation on the spot, With regard to Shanghai University. an American-owned institution situated at Yangtszepoo, the spokesman. said that the Japanese side in accordance with a suggestion from a third part had approached the American side with an offer to purchase. the premises, The American side, the spokesman stated, "manifested no intention of selling it. but the Japanese were anxious for its purchase, because it is intolerable to have many Chinese students in the university compound which is adjacent to the Japanese aerodrome."
The spokesman pointed out that hostilities were still going on between Japan and China, and appealed to the -Foreign Powers for patience and sympathy in dealing with "concomitants"i.of the: hostilities, which would be settled smoothly and quickly, he declared. when the situation became quiet—Reuter, A denial of the report that the Japanese military had returned the University of Shanghai, the American Baptist missionary institution situated near Point Island, to the mission concerned, was made yesterday by responsible officials.
It is understood that the Japanese authorities -have advised the Amer-jean authorities that Wusih, Sungkiang, Kashing and other cities in this area will be opened up in the very near future. Passes will Ren be issued, but only to those reluct ing to take up a former residénge; missionaries who formerly worked in Wusih, for instance, will be issi with passes to Wusih, but to Wusj! only and not, for example to Sun kiang.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.