Anchored Mine, States Gaimusho Spokesman Tokyo, Nov. 24. "We cannot state what action the Japanese Government will take over the sinking of the Terukuni Maru," said the spokesman of the Foreign Office at today's press conference.
Replying to a question put by a correspondent, the spokesman declared that the Terukuni Maru had "al parently struck an anchored mine, The disaster occurred during the day and in favourable weather, said the spokesman, who added that "if it had been a floating mine, it would have been sighted from a distance of two miles, Smaller boats preceded ihe Terukuni Maru, but met no disaster; while the 12,000-ton Japanese liner, with deeper draft, struck the mine (which must have been anchored."
The "Nichi Nichi Shimbun" says the Government is, with utmost care, gathering all information and other data necessary for fixing the responsibility for the disaster.
"Should the Government fix the blame upon Germany," the paper declares, "it would brand Germany as the author of indiscriminate mine warfare against neutral shipping. On. the other hand, should the Government fix the responsibility on Britain, it would accuse the latter of laying mines outside notified zones, in an attempt to hamper neutral commerce,"
"In either case," the "Nichi Nichi" continues, "the Government's findings will one way or the other, be tantamount to a declaration befriending One belligerent and antagonizing the other, with the possibility that Japan may be dragged into the European war despite her non-intervention declaration."—Reuter.
General von Reichenau first announced that all the necessary preparations for the offensive had been made. He then stressed that everything had been calculated on the assumption that Belgium would remain neutral, Should Belgium side with Holland, then the German army would have. little chance for success, However, he said, he was prepared to obey his Fuehrer's orders and to meet death with his troops, General Walther von Brauchitsch, the Commander-in-Chief of the German Army, then rose to state that he could not assume any responsibility for the offensive which he knew was doomed to failure, As the Fuehrer insisted, he gave his instructions to all his officers to attack on Finland Rejects Soviet Demands Helsinki, Nov. 24.
The Finnish Government saw no possibility of accepting the latest Russian proposals declared M. M. J. Cajander, the Prime Minister, in a statement last night.
Acceptance of the Soviet demands, he added, would constitue a violation of Finnish neutrality, and would mean the transfer of first-class fortifications to a foreign Power.
The Soviet demands are believed to include a mutual assistance pact, cession of territory in the Leningrad area in return for part of Karelia, and cession of some islands in the Gulf of Finland for use as naval bases.—Reuter.
Moscow, Nov. 24. After a lull of two days, the Soviet press and radio today resumed attacks on Finnish leaders, questioning Finnish desire to continue negotiations with Moscow.—United Press. the following morning, It was. only during the night of November 11 that these officers received tele-
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