Washington, Feb. 19.
United States Government authorities here to-day appeared to welcome reports of the withdrawal of General Iwane Matsui, Commander of Japanese Expeditionary forces in Central China.
Moscow, Feb. 19.
All Russia to-day is celebrating the rescue of the four intrepid Soviet scientists who, since February 1, have been precariously marooned on an ice-floe im the Arctic region.
For almost a week the two ice breakers, Murman and Taimyr, have been struggling desperately to break through thick pack ice to take the expedition off their narrow drifting ice ledge.
To-day details of the rescue of the explorers show how the Taimyr and the Murman approached the Polar camp.
At 5.30 this afternoon the rescuers cast dice to decide which ship would have the honour of bringing the scientists back. The Murman won for the expedition's Leader, M. Ivan. Papanin, and the next in rank, M. Krenkel, while MIN. Shirshov and Federov were sent aboard the Taimyr, The wireless message, which gave news of the rescue. did not mention the dog Vessely, and it was feared that he had perished in the gale three The reported appointment of General S. Hata, Inspector-General of Military Education, was regarded as the result of Japan's need for better discipline among Japanese troops in occupied areas of China and an effort by Japan to terminate the Sino-Japanese war at an early date.
The "Washington Evening Star" estimated to-day that the first seven months of the war had cost Japan $10,000,000 daily.
"The removal of Matsui," the paper said, "tells louder than words the full story of Japan's blasted hopes of quick victory in Chin Japan's mobilization programme was regarded here as another evidence of Japan's intensification of efforts to bring the war to an end as soon as possible.
Oficial circles here welcomed the appointment of General Hata to succeed General Matsui because of their belief that. good discipline among the Japanese troops in China would bel] conducive to better relations between Japan and neutral powers in the Orient through the elimination of bombing and artillery attacks on foreign warships and a curtailment of looting incidents.
The lack of discipline among Japanese troops in China, it was pointed out, had practically cost Japan the friendship of the United States United Press.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.