Tokyo, June 15.
Japan's attitude toward the British end French Concessions at Tientsin never would be affected by economic reprisals on the part of the British Government, according to a press message from Tientsin today which said London was reported to be contemplating such action.
Japanese authorities at Tientsin already had prepared another plan to meet new developments in case Britain persisted in her "anti-Japanese and pro-Chiang Kai-shek policy, the message stated.
The message asserted that "isolation" of the Tientsin concessions was an "epoch-making" development in the Japanese attitude toward foreign concessions in China.
It showed Japan's "grim determi-ration" to seek a fundamental solution of the concession question as a whole, instead of a settlement of vidual problems one by one, the Gispatch declared.
The message traced the present "ugly affair" in Tientsin to misunderstanding of the situation by the British Government, "which failed to realize Japan's determination and preparations, being misled by Sir Archibald Clark Kerr, British Ambassador, who supports the Gen Chiang Kai-shek regime out and out as contrasted with the conciliatory attitude of Sir Robert Craigie, British Ambassador to Japan."
"Empty Threats"
Authoritative quarters in Tokyo were inclined to regard reports of possible British economic pressure against Japan as empty threats.
Japanese authorities were said to be preparing adequate precautionary measures against such an eventuality.
If Britain enforced discriminatory measures against Japanese shipping it would be a violation of the Anglo-Japanese Commercial. Treaty, and result in aggravation of Anglo-Japanese relations by the extension of a purely political question into the economic field, informed observers pointed out.—Domei.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.