Washington, June 28.
High diplomatic officials believed today that the Anglo-Japanese crisis in the Far East had definitely eased and they were optimistic that the peaceful negotiations to be conducted in Tokyo over the Tientsin situation would soon result in a settlement.
The order of the Japanese military authorities in Tientsin to end the "stripping activities" and relax the food blockade was taken as a good sign.
Japanese propaganda in belittling the extent of the reported indignities suffered by Britons in Tientsin end the seriousness of the general situation was believed here to be a prelude to a "face-saving" reversal of some aspects of Japanese policy.
Informed circles said that the British Government constantly informed the State Department of new developments and it was believed that American nationals were still not involved.
Meanwhile, some Washington observers believed that the declaration by Lieutenant-General Masaharu. Homma, Tientsin Japanese Garrison Commander, was made on Tokyo's instructions. This contradicted the prevailing belief here but (Continued on page 8)
London, June 28.
In view of the forthcoming Anglo-Japanese conversations in Tokyo on the Tientsin issue, the British Government assumed that there would be an end to stripping, searching and similar incidents in Tientsin—and they had reason to hope that this in fact would be the case, declared Mr. Chamberlain, the Prime Minsiter, replying to questions on Tientsin in the House of Commons today.
Replying to six questions on the Order Paper, Mr, Chamberlain declared, dealing first with the local situation, that arrivals of perishable foodstuffs continued to be spasmodic, and only a fraction of the normal quantities was reaching the British Concession.
The British authorities were taking active steps to remedy the present deficiency.
British subjects passing through the barriers, since the commencement of the blockade, had been subjected to a rigorous search.
In 15 instances, British subjects had been compelled to strip, cluded one incident inva woman.
It did not appear, however, that there had been any more cases during the last day or two.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.