Mr. Alan Chariton, Conservative member for Bury, asked whether the Prime Minister had considered the representations from British trading interests in Shanghai urging strong immediate action to protect British trade in China from Japanese en croachment and what steps he had taken in the matter.
Mr. Butler, in reply, said that the Foreign Secretary had given close attention to these representations.
The British Ambassador in Tokyo (Sir Robert Craigie), he added, had recently re-emphasized to the Japanese Government the importance which was attached in this country to an early settlement of all outstanding cases affecting British interests in China.
Mr. Charlton then drew attention to a Japanese official account of the inaugural meetings of two Japanese syndicates formed to control industries, commodities and communications in North and Central China.
He asked the Prime Minister by whom the capital of the syndicates was being subscribed, whether in cash Protests Futile Washington, Nov. 21.
The Washington "Evening Sta today suggested that the present time was opportune for a "searching re-examination of America's policy in the war-ridden Far East."
Referring to recent exchanges of notes between the U.S. and Japan, the editorial declared that the futility of mere protests against Japan's course of action in China, particularly Japan's exclusion of foreign rights and interests, had already been amply demonstrated.—United Press.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.