About 87 per cent. of th" bonds issued by the Government last y were absorbed, he pointed out. While this was satisfactory, Mr. Aoki said. it would be necessary to increase the absorption of bonds this year.
Foreign trade showed an improvement over the previous year, he said, but the balance between exports and ports with nations outside the yen bloc was unfavourable.
Total exports up to December 25 1939, amounted to Y.3,709,000,009. an increase of 34 per cent, while imports amounted to ¥.2,900,000,000, an increase of 10 per cent.
Exports to countries, outside the yen bloc, Mr. Aoki said, were valued at Y.1,730,000,000, an increase of 19 er cent. compared with the previous year.—Domei.
Xt is authoritatively stated in London that official circles at-foch no credence whatever to the rumours, given out in certain foreign broadcasts, of Russian troop concentrations on the borders of Afghanistan. The Afghan Government has ofü- cially denied there has been any mobilization of its armed forces, and nothing whatever is known of any mobilization in lran.—Reufer.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.