Referring to the Japanese Navy's refusal to permit free navigation of the Yangtze, an international river, the paper said: "Such obstinacy does little to restore good feeling between the United States and Japan, which in any event will take considerable time to effect.
Meanwhile authoritative sources here pointed out that the Japanese Navy had no legal right under international law to blockade the Yangtze They said Japan has not declared war and that the rights of the Japanese Navy on the Yangtze therefore do not exceed those of any other third Power in China, including the United States. They said this referred particularly to the case of United States warships who have the right to navigate on the Yangtze without consultation with Japanese officials or permission from the Japanese Navy.
Informed circles here indicated that thus far any American consultations with the Japanese Navy commanders had been merely a gesture of goodwill to prevent a recurrence of the Panay incident. It was believed the patience of American officials on the Yangtze question would soon be exhausted unless the Japanese themselves lifted their illegal blockade.—United Press.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.