With reference to the anti-British demonstrations which are being staged in Pootung almost daily, a correspondent asked whether these were being authorized by the Japanese authorities, The spokesman replied that the Japanese forces were not there to intervene in disputes between capital and labour.
Told of persistent reports according to which there was considerable unrest amongst labour employed by British interests in Pootung and asked whether the spokesman was aware of any meeting which was reported to have been held in this connection yesterday afternoon between Commander Minesuke Noji and the managers of the various British plants having establishments in Pootung, the spokesman said that he had spoken to the Commandant in the morning but that nothing was said with regard to the proposed meeting.
After hearing the Naval spokesman's statement a British Consular official stated last night that a British Vice-Consul had been refused permission to see Tinkler on Tuesday afternoon and that at 7 p.m. the man's condition had been reported to the Consular authorities as improving and ihat he was "all right" Additional information that on the following morning Tinkler would be able to eat porridge and to see his friends was also given at this hour, he added. This, he said, was different from the Japanese story that at 5.30 p.m. Tinkler had beer found perspiring and spitting blood,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.